Saudi Arabia Offers Grant to Renovate Historic Seiyun Palace in Yemen’s Hadramout

The Yemeni Minister of Information and the Saudi Ambassador at the launch of the project in Riyadh on Wednesday (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Yemeni Minister of Information and the Saudi Ambassador at the launch of the project in Riyadh on Wednesday (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Offers Grant to Renovate Historic Seiyun Palace in Yemen’s Hadramout

The Yemeni Minister of Information and the Saudi Ambassador at the launch of the project in Riyadh on Wednesday (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Yemeni Minister of Information and the Saudi Ambassador at the launch of the project in Riyadh on Wednesday (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) has provided funding to renovate the historic Seiyun Palace in Hadramout Governorate, in response to the Yemeni government’s request to protect antiquities and endangered historical areas.

Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al Jaber said that the inauguration of the Seiyun Palace renovation project came in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), as an extension of Saudi Arabia’s pioneering role to preserve the monuments and history of the Arabian Peninsula.

The launching ceremony on Wednesday was attended by Yemeni Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Moammar Al-Eryani; Permanent Delegate of Yemen to UNESCO Mohammed Jumeh; Representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to the GCC and Yemen Salah El-Din Zaki Khaled; and Secretary General of the National Committee for Education, Culture and Science Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz Al-Bleihed.

The Saudi ambassador said that the renovation of the historic Seiyun Palace was part of 224 projects and development initiatives implemented by the SDRPY in various Yemeni governorates to help the people in seven main sectors: education, health, water, energy, transport, agriculture and fishery, building the capacity of government institutions and other development projects.

For his part, the head of UNESCO’s Regional Office in the Gulf States and Yemen, Salah Khaled, said Saudi Arabia’s funding to implement the project fell within the Kingdom’s efforts to preserve the diverse Yemeni cultural heritage, and preserve the country’s identity that forms the basis for social cohesion, recovery and the building of peaceful and sound societies.

The director noted that the palace needed urgent intervention, as part of its wall has collapsed, adding that the war in Yemen and seasonal rains over the past years, have caused a total collapse of separate parts of the outer wall and floors, leading to significant damage to the palace infrastructure.

Khaled stressed that the project was not only aimed at renovating the palace, but also at reviving its role as a museum and a civilized center for local cultural life, providing job opportunities for Yemeni youth, and enhancing the role of culture in building local capacities in Yemen.

Al-Eryani praised the efforts of SDRPY and UNESCO to renovate the Seiyun Palace, underlining Saudi Arabia’s constant endeavor to support Yemen, in line with the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.



Qatar to Reopen Its Embassy in Syria on Tuesday

 A child holding the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers is held up, as people celebrate after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Damascus old city, Syria, December 13, 2024. (Reuters)
A child holding the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers is held up, as people celebrate after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Damascus old city, Syria, December 13, 2024. (Reuters)
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Qatar to Reopen Its Embassy in Syria on Tuesday

 A child holding the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers is held up, as people celebrate after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Damascus old city, Syria, December 13, 2024. (Reuters)
A child holding the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers is held up, as people celebrate after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Damascus old city, Syria, December 13, 2024. (Reuters)

Qatar will reopen its embassy in Syria on Tuesday after it was closed for more than 13 years, the Gulf country's foreign ministry said on Sunday, a week after Bashar al-Assad was removed from power.

Qatar's embassy in Damascus has been shut since July 2011 when it withdrew its ambassador from Damascus after a series of deadly crackdowns by Assad's regime on protesters - violence that led to the 13-year-long civil war.

Doha in recent years did not join efforts by several Arab countries to mend relations with Assad's government and re-establish diplomatic relations with Damascus.

A lightning advance by the opposition, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group led to the ouster of Assad on Dec. 8.

Qatar's foreign ministry said in a statement its decision to reopen the embassy reflects its support for the Syrian people and their "struggle to attain their legitimate rights for a dignified life".