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Yemen’s Oil Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Houthis Using SAFER to Blackmail Int’l Community

Yemeni Minister of Oil and Minerals Abdul Salam Baaboud (Photo: Saad al-Dossary)
Yemeni Minister of Oil and Minerals Abdul Salam Baaboud (Photo: Saad al-Dossary)
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Yemen’s Oil Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Houthis Using SAFER to Blackmail Int’l Community

Yemeni Minister of Oil and Minerals Abdul Salam Baaboud (Photo: Saad al-Dossary)
Yemeni Minister of Oil and Minerals Abdul Salam Baaboud (Photo: Saad al-Dossary)

Yemeni Minister of Oil and Minerals Abdul Salam Baaboud said that five international oil companies have resumed production after years of halt caused by the coup and the war that ravaged the country.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, the minister noted that major international companies specialized in oil field services, such as Baker Hughes and Schlumberger, have re-launched their operations, which he said was an important indication of the path towards the sector’s recovery.

For the first time since the coup, a number of exploration wells have been drilled over the past three months in Block 9, in addition to the completion of three-dimensional seismic surveys of 269 kilometers in the same sector, according to the minister.

Baaboud also said that the average oil production was around 55,000 barrels per day, adding that work was underway to restore production in Block 5 and export oil through the new pipeline, which means adding an estimated amount of 20,000-25,000 barrels per day in the early production phase.

“The government is deploying exceptional efforts to face many of the challenges produced by the coup. As oil is one of the most important contributor to our national economy, the Ministry of Oil and Minerals is working according to clear plans based on a strategic vision, the most important pillar of which was the completion of the institutional building of the ministry and its units,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“In this context, we have re-activated the Petroleum Exploration and Production Authority (PEPA) in its new headquarters in the temporary capital, Aden. The Authority represents the institutional framework concerned with the supervision and technical monitoring of operating oil companies.”

The ministry has also formed a technical team to assess the damage incurred by the oil sector as a result of the war and to draft an integrated plan for the recovery and development process.

Asked about local and foreign oil companies currently operating in Yemen, Baaboud said: “The Ministry of Oil and Minerals has made great efforts to restore oil production in the different blocks… Block S1 in Al-Uqlah is operated by OMV, while Block 9 by Calvalley Petroleum... and these two are foreign companies.”

“There are also national companies that have re-launched their work, including the Safer Company in Block 18 of Maarib, and the PetroMasila Company in the blocks of Hadramout. Some major international companies specialized in oilfield services that have also resumed their activities, including, for example, Baker Hughes and Schlumberger. This is an important indication that the recovery has already begun for this important vital sector,” the minister remarked.

Yemen’s petroleum sector was the main tributary of the country’s economy. Before the Houthi coup, it contributed to the general budget by about 75 percent.

Asked about the sector’s contribution today, the minister said: “Certainly, Yemen’s production declined due to the coup and the war led by the Houthi militia… The state budget in normal circumstances depends mainly on oil revenues, which cover about 70 percent of the general budget resources, 63 percent of the country’s total exports, and 30 percent of GDP. In the wake of the coup, oil companies were forced to freeze their activities, and their employees left Yemen. Thus, estimating the state’s budget revenues and expenditures has become challenging.”

Baaboud highly valued the Saudi grant in support of the Yemeni government’s efforts to normalize the situation and restore stability in the country.

“Undoubtedly, the Saudi oil derivatives grant, which is the fourth, will have a great impact in supporting development and alleviating the suffering of citizens, as 80 power stations will be operated throughout the liberated governorates,” he underlined.

This will give the government time to devise future solutions to the electricity crisis, reduce the burden on the government’s budget, and contribute to stabilizing the Yemeni riyal exchange rate, according to the minister.

Asked about developments regarding the SAFER oil tanker and ongoing efforts to avert a disaster in the Red Sea, the Yemeni minister said: “The situation is getting worse day after day, as the Houthi militia continues to obstruct the efforts of the UN team. We have warned that these obstacles will lead to a disaster.”

“Unfortunately, the Houthi group is using the tanker to blackmail the international community and the Yemeni legitimacy, without any consideration of the consequences in the event of an oil spill. We call on the international community to assume its responsibilities and take this issue seriously and we appreciate the efforts of the United Nations to address this sensitive problem,” the minister said.

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Interviews

Safer CEO: Company Ready to Resume LNG Exports

Safer’s CEO said the company is ready to resume liquefied natural gas exports (Asharq Al-Awsat). 
Safer’s CEO said the company is ready to resume liquefied natural gas exports (Asharq Al-Awsat). 
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Safer CEO: Company Ready to Resume LNG Exports

Safer’s CEO said the company is ready to resume liquefied natural gas exports (Asharq Al-Awsat). 
Safer’s CEO said the company is ready to resume liquefied natural gas exports (Asharq Al-Awsat). 

As Yemen’s energy sector continues to grapple with the effects of war and a steep decline in foreign investment, Safer Exploration & Production Operations Company — the country’s largest oil and gas producer — has unveiled plans to expand the use of its hydrocarbon resources.

These plans include introducing compressed natural gas as a fuel for vehicles and households and studying the development of potential shale oil reserves.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Safer Chief Executive Officer Salem Kaiti said the company is technically prepared to resume production and exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) whenever the government authorizes the move and security and political conditions permit.

He added that any restart would be gradual and would follow the rehabilitation and maintenance of selected wells and facilities.

According to Kaiti, Safer currently produces about 15,000 barrels of oil per day and 1.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, down from approximately 32,000 barrels per day and 2.2 trillion cubic feet before the war.

He attributed the decline to the suspension of development, drilling, and exploration activities, as well as the departure of several foreign companies from Yemen’s energy sector.

The executive also revealed that Safer is studying a strategic project to develop compressed natural gas (CNG) based on methane gas as a lower-cost alternative to transportation fuels and household cooking gas.

Yemen possesses substantial methane reserves, he said, but the project would require significant investment in infrastructure, transportation networks, and distribution stations.

In addition, Safer is examining opportunities in unconventional oil resources, including shale oil. Preliminary studies conducted by oilfield services company Schlumberger indicated promising signs of significant reserves, according to Kaiti.

However, confirming those estimates and developing the resource commercially would require advanced technologies and partnerships with specialized international companies.

Kaiti also expressed interest in building future cooperation with Saudi Aramco⁠, particularly in training, workforce development, and benefiting from the company’s expertise across the energy sector.

Maintaining Operations During Wartime

Kaiti stressed that Safer has operated under extraordinary conditions throughout years of conflict and economic instability. Despite security and financial challenges, the company’s workforce has managed to keep critical facilities in the oil-producing governorate of Marib running and prevent significant deterioration.

Operations have been strained by prolonged interruptions to exports, aging infrastructure, and the withdrawal of many foreign service companies. Nevertheless, Safer continued maintenance programs for wells and production facilities, preserved output levels, and maintained supplies of petroleum products and cooking gas to the domestic market.

Among the company’s most significant achievements, Kaiti cited the relocation of Safer’s headquarters and financial center from areas controlled by the Houthis to Marib in early 2017.

The company also resumed oil exports in October 2019 through truck transport to facilities operated by YCOM, with shipments eventually reaching the Port of Nushaymah on the Arabian Sea. Between 2019 and 2022, total exports reached approximately 8.6 million barrels.

Safer also succeeded in returning 17 inactive wells to production. Between 2023 and 2025, those efforts generated cumulative output of 554,000 barrels of oil and 52 billion cubic feet of gas.

In December 2024, the company restarted production from the Al-Wahda-2 well using electric submersible pump technology, which Kaiti described as the first step toward wider deployment of the technology across other wells.

The company resumed well-maintenance operations in May 2018 after a three-year halt. According to Kaiti, some wells faced serious technical risks that could have resulted in accidents or gas leaks, but engineering teams successfully addressed the problems.

Other accomplishments include launching production of improved gasoline for the local market, constructing a 55,000-barrel crude oil storage tank at the central processing facility, paving a 40-kilometer road linking Safer and Al-Ruwaik, and supporting development projects in education and healthcare across Marib.

War-Driven Production Decline

Before the conflict, Safer’s production stood at approximately 32,000 barrels of oil per day and 2.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Today, those figures have fallen to around 15,000 barrels per day and 1.6 trillion cubic feet, respectively.

Kaiti attributed the decline to the natural depletion of mature fields, the suspension of field-development programs, halted drilling and exploration activities, weak maintenance programs, and the departure of foreign companies because of the war.

Given current conditions, he said the company’s priority is to stabilize production and prevent further declines until circumstances allow larger development projects to resume.

Workforce and Economic Role

Kaiti described Safer as one of the pillars of Yemen’s economy, citing its role in supplying domestic markets with cooking gas, gasoline, and diesel, while contributing to government revenues and employment.

The company also provides fuel for power stations, helping maintain electricity supplies in Marib and other governorates. Approximately 99 percent of Safer’s workforce is Yemeni, with the company employing around 1,000 people, in addition to hundreds of workers employed by contractors from across the country.

Future Projects: Shale Oil and CNG

Looking ahead, Safer has developed both short- and long-term exploration and development plans aimed at increasing and sustaining production and identifying new reserves. Their implementation, however, remains dependent on security and financial conditions.

Planned initiatives include drilling new development and exploration wells, launching projects to produce and process heavy crude oil and asphalt, and expanding the use of gas-lift systems and electric submersible pumps.

The company is also studying projects to process hydrogen sulfide gas in several fields and install specialized equipment to improve the quality of oil and gas production.

Kaiti emphasized that developing shale oil resources would require partnerships with international firms possessing advanced technology and expertise, given the high costs and technical complexity involved.

LNG Exports Could Resume Gradually

On the prospect of restarting LNG exports, Kaiti said Safer has preserved upstream facilities throughout the war and remains technically ready to resume production and exports once political and security conditions improve and the government gives its approval.

Any restart would be gradual, he noted, because some wells and facilities require maintenance and rehabilitation after years of inactivity. Extended shutdowns have affected portions of the company’s equipment and surface installations.

Kaiti also voiced hope that foreign companies that left Yemen during the conflict would eventually return. While some have already resumed activities through Yemeni staff, others continue to monitor the security situation before deciding whether to re-enter the market.

 

 

 

Interviews

Yemeni Interior Minister: Assassination Cells in Aden Backed by Foreign Funding, Seeking to Undermine State

Haidan stated that security coordination between Yemen and Saudi Arabia is at its highest levels (Photography: Turki Al-Oqaily)
Haidan stated that security coordination between Yemen and Saudi Arabia is at its highest levels (Photography: Turki Al-Oqaily)
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Yemeni Interior Minister: Assassination Cells in Aden Backed by Foreign Funding, Seeking to Undermine State

Haidan stated that security coordination between Yemen and Saudi Arabia is at its highest levels (Photography: Turki Al-Oqaily)
Haidan stated that security coordination between Yemen and Saudi Arabia is at its highest levels (Photography: Turki Al-Oqaily)

Yemen’s Interior Minister Major General Ibrahim Haidan revealed what he described as the foiling of the "largest political assassination plot" in the temporary capital Aden, saying security forces had carried out a successful pre-emptive operation against terrorist cells linked to foreign actors that were planning to target prominent political and security figures as part of what he called an “intelligence war” against the Yemeni state and its institutions.

In an extensive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Haidan said investigations had uncovered foreign funding and logistical support for the cells behind the recent assassinations in Aden, adding that authorities found documents, maps and tools in the possession of cell members that exposed the scale of the plot and its objectives.

The minister said security coordination with Saudi Arabia was taking place "at the highest levels," describing ties between the two countries as a "shared destiny" and praising support provided by the Kingdom under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, Saudi Interior Minister, during his reception of Major General Haidan in February 2024 (SPA)

Shared destiny with Saudi Arabia

Haidan stressed that Yemen’s relationship with Saudi Arabia represented a "shared destiny."

"Given the circumstances Yemen is going through, we find our brothers in Saudi Arabia dedicating all their efforts to supporting Yemen’s legitimate government in restoring the state and achieving security, economic and political stability," he said. "Therefore, Yemen’s security is an integral part of the region’s security."

He added that this made security coordination between Yemen and Saudi Arabia "at its highest levels," while expressing appreciation for the "generous and continued support" provided by the Kingdom, including in training, rehabilitation, logistical and technical assistance.

Haidan said the support had played a major role in ensuring the resilience and continuity of Yemen’s security institutions, adding: "We consider the Kingdom our primary strategic partner in the battle against terrorism."

Haidan explained that the assassination operations were an attempt to create social unrest to undermine public trust in the state (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Security situation in Aden

The minister said the security situation in liberated areas in general, and in the temporary capital Aden in particular, was seeing continuous improvement despite what he described as a "systematic targeting" of the city’s security aimed at undermining efforts to restore the state.

He said progress could be measured through several indicators, including the effectiveness and rapid response of security agencies, declining crime rates, and public support for state institutions. He added that those factors had helped foil what he described as the largest political assassination plot, although "the price was high."

According to Haidan, the plot claimed the lives of three prominent figures over recent weeks: Major Abdul Karim Abdullah, deputy director of the Seventh Security District; Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Shaer, director of Al-Nawras Schools; and Wissam Qaed, acting executive director of the Social Fund for Development.

He said the Interior Ministry, backed by military and intelligence institutions, was working to achieve security and stability under a comprehensive security plan aimed at strengthening state institutions and enforcing the rule of law, while noting positive cooperation from citizens.

Haidan added that security forces had become "more professional, disciplined and vigilant" in confronting threats posed by militias and their regional allies.

Why assassinations have returned

Haidan said the resurgence of assassinations in Aden was intended to create social unrest and erode public confidence in the state.

"By examining the nature of the targets chosen by militias backed by regional actors, we can understand the mechanism of the plot," he said. "The assassinations recently targeted the security sector, education and development, meaning that both the state and society were being targeted simultaneously."

He said the attacks were also aimed at obstructing efforts by the Presidential Leadership Council and the government to unify decision-making and normalize conditions in the country.

Who is behind the assassinations?

Responding to a question about those responsible for the recent assassinations in Aden, Haidan said security agencies, in coordination with the public prosecution, had made significant progress in collecting evidence and tracking leads.

"Many leads indicate that the rebellious coup militias received support from foreign parties to create chaos, disrupt the project of restoring the state and obstruct development efforts in liberated areas, especially Aden," he said.

Assassination of Wissam Qaed

Regarding threats allegedly received by Wissam Qaed from the Houthis before his killing, Haidan said the group had a long history of using assassinations as a political tool.

"The preliminary evidence and threats received by the martyr before his assassination place these militias under direct suspicion," he said, adding that the perpetrators may not necessarily have been directly affiliated with the Houthis but could have cooperated with allied groups pursuing a common goal of chaos and undermining the state.

Major General Haidan with General Fahd Al-Salman, Commander of the Joint Forces, in November 2024 (SPA)

Foreign funding and support

Haidan confirmed that some of the terrorist cells behind the assassinations had foreign links and had received financial and logistical backing.

"There is an intelligence war taking place on our soil aimed at shedding the blood of our people and dismantling the social fabric in order to undermine the state and obstruct the restoration of its institutions," he said.

He added that Yemen was coordinating with regional and international partners to "dry up the sources of cross-border terrorism."

Dismantling assassination cells

Speaking about the recently dismantled assassination cells, Haidan said the arrested group had been trained to carry out assassinations and plant explosive devices and included individuals with criminal records directly linked to a command center in Houthi-controlled areas.

He described the operation as a successful pre-emptive strike, adding that authorities had found documents, maps and tools revealing a major plot targeting prominent political and security figures.

Security in liberated areas

The minister said there had been "tangible progress" in the security situation across liberated provinces, noting growing coordination and integration among security agencies nationwide, with Aden receiving particular focus because of its political and symbolic significance.

He added that official statistics showed a slight decline in crime rates while maintaining the same level of enforcement.

"Compared with the first quarter of 2025, which recorded 3,111 crimes, the first quarter of 2026 recorded 3,064 crimes, with a clearance rate reaching 90 percent," Haidan said.

Interviews

Lebanon’s Foreign Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Only the State Decides on Talks with Israel

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi - File Photo
Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi - File Photo
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Lebanon’s Foreign Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Only the State Decides on Talks with Israel

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi - File Photo
Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi - File Photo

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said Lebanon “has started to gradually reclaim its natural right to determine its own fate independently of others’ calculations,” stressing that the Lebanese state “alone holds the decision to negotiate,” and that Lebanon “is not subordinate to anyone and is not a card in the hands of any axis.”

He expressed regret that the state’s efforts to secure financial and political support for reconstruction “are being confronted by an internal party, Hezbollah, which continues to gamble with the fate of these villages and their residents in service of goals and agendas unrelated to the national interest or to the suffering of the people of the south.”

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Raggi said that “the national priority today is to fully restore sovereignty, without diminution,” adding that “there is no shame in the Lebanese state negotiating with Israel if the goal is to end the war and recover territory.”

He also condemned “what has been uncovered of roving sabotage networks linked to Hezbollah in a number of Arab countries,” while at the same time denouncing the targeting of brotherly Arab states and their security and stability.

 

Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Youssef Raggi (L) meets UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix (R) at the Lebanese Foreign Ministry in Beirut, Lebanon, 07 January 2026. Lacroix is on an official visit to meet Lebanon's leaders. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

Negotiations exclusively in the hands of the state

The Lebanese ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh Mouawad, held a second direct meeting with her Israeli counterpart, Yechiel Leiter, at the US State Department to discuss extending the truce and to set a date and venue for negotiations between the two delegations, in what is the first track of direct talks since 1993.

Raggi noted: “Iran dragged Lebanon into a war that was neither the choice of the Lebanese state nor of the majority of the Lebanese, but was imposed on it under an approach that treats Lebanon as a pressure card to be used at regional and international negotiating tables.”

He continued: “This led to the step taken by President Joseph Aoun to pursue a path of direct negotiations, clearly declaring that the Lebanese state alone holds the decision to negotiate, and that Lebanon is not subordinate to anyone and is not a card in the hands of any axis.” He stressed that “this step is not limited to its negotiating dimension, but lays the groundwork for restoring independent national decision-making and reinstating the concept of the state as the sole reference in war, peace, and foreign policy.”

Raggi reaffirmed that “the Lebanese track is now separate from the Iranian track,” and that “Lebanon’s interests are no longer hostage to the progress or deadlock of Iranian negotiations,” noting that “the second preparatory meeting is being held while talks related to Iran are facing stagnation and complications, which proves that Lebanon has begun to gradually reclaim its natural right to determine its own fate independently of others’ calculations.”He said: “This is a pivotal moment in Lebanon’s modern history, as it ends a long phase in which national milestones were tied to external agendas.”

No longer an arena

Raggi said: “We will no longer accept using Lebanon as an arena for settling regional scores or as a platform for military and political adventurism whose cost is borne by the Lebanese in their security, economy, and national unity.” He explained: “Experience has shown that turning Lebanon into an open arena for conflict has brought it nothing but destruction, isolation, and collapse. What is required today is to reassert its position as a sovereign state, not as a sphere of influence or a permanent front line.”

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun holding talks with Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi (Presidency)

Objectives of negotiations

On the objectives of negotiations, Raggi said that “Lebanon’s move toward negotiations is intended to address outstanding issues between the two countries, foremost among them border, security, and humanitarian matters,” stressing that “negotiation is not surrender, as some try to portray it, but a tool for defending national interests when conducted from a position of state authority and with careful calculation.”He added: “The balance of power is not measured only in weapons, but also in the legitimacy of the state, unity of the national position, international support, and the ability to use law and diplomacy to protect rights.”

He noted that “it is a grave mistake to portray Lebanon as being in a position of absolute weakness, just as it is equally wrong to portray it as being in a position of surrender. The reality is that Lebanon, if its institutions are unified, can negotiate from a clear national-interest position.”

Raggi added: “The national priority today is to fully restore sovereignty, without diminution. There is no shame in the Lebanese state negotiating with Israel if the goal is to end the war, recover territory, and secure a lasting peace that preserves the dignity of the Lebanese and prevents the recurrence of tragedies, especially for our people in the south who have paid a heavy price in lives, homes, and livelihoods.”

He continued: “The futile adventures carried out through what are called ‘proxies’ have proven that their outcome was neither liberation nor victory, but further fragmentation and weakening of the Lebanese state and depletion of its society and economy.”

Monopoly of arms

Raggi said Lebanon “has long delayed implementing governmental and constitutional decisions related to restricting weapons to the state, particularly Hezbollah’s arms, at a time when the majority of Lebanese are calling for a real state that alone holds the right to use force.” He added: “Restricting arms is not a political demand by one side against another; it is the only gateway to building a modern state, because the very concept of the state fundamentally contradicts the existence of armed groups outside its authority. A state cannot exist with two sets of arms, two sovereignties, or two decisions on war and peace.”

He pointed out that “facts have shown that weapons outside state control did not liberate occupied land, did not protect Lebanese citizens, and did not prevent destruction; rather, they deepened national losses.”

He explained: “Before the ‘support for Gaza’ war and linking Lebanon to the Iranian confrontation, the disputed border points were limited and confined to known issues, including the thirteen points, the Shebaa Farms, and the Kfar Shouba hills. After October 7, 2023, Israeli occupation expanded inside Lebanese territory at five points, and after March 2, the occupied areas widened further, while dozens of villages were destroyed and vast areas suffered devastation and displacement.”

He added: “This catastrophic outcome confirms that the logic of uncontrolled arms did not produce protection; rather, Hezbollah’s war calculus ultimately imposed the path of direct negotiations as the only way to recover what Lebanon has lost.”

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi - AFP

Targeting Arab states

Raggi strongly condemned “the discovery of roving sabotage networks linked to Hezbollah in a number of Arab countries.” He said: “This behavior is another example of the nature of the cross-border Iranian project, and its danger is not limited to Lebanon’s sovereignty but also extends to the security of sister and friendly states that have long stood by Lebanon in its most difficult times.”

He added: “We have informed our friends in the concerned countries of Lebanon’s full readiness for judicial and security cooperation, to pursue those responsible for these networks and provide all necessary assistance. We also reiterate our absolute rejection of using Lebanese territory or any Lebanese entity to harm the security of any Arab or friendly country.”

Hezbollah ‘gambling with the south’

Meanwhile, Israel continues explosions in border villages in the south. Raggi said: “We are closely following developments on the ground in the south, particularly the security belt imposed by Israel. The Foreign Ministry is working through all available diplomatic channels to achieve a full Israeli withdrawal, ensure residents can return to their villages, and launch reconstruction.”

He added: “But it is regrettable that while the state seeks to secure financial and political support for rebuilding, it faces an internal party, Hezbollah, that continues to gamble with the fate of these villages and their residents in service of goals and agendas unrelated to Lebanon’s interest or the suffering of the people of the south.”

Raggi said: “The painful scene of destroyed villages in the south, and of residents who have lost their homes, livelihoods, and sense of safety, should be a moment for courageous national reassessment,” stressing that “those who caused this war and dragged Lebanon into it against the will of its people must bear their political, moral, and historical responsibility and review their calculations before it is too late.”

Raggi affirmed that “Lebanon can no longer bear others’ wars, their projects, or illusions of victory that bring only ruin.” He concluded: “The future must belong to the state, to sovereignty, and to a just peace that protects all Lebanese.”