عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Gulf

Yemenis Hail Announcement on Accelerating Aid from Saudi Arabia, UAE

Prince Khalid bin Salman and Dr. Al-Alimi meet in Riyadh on Thursday. (Saba)
Prince Khalid bin Salman and Dr. Al-Alimi meet in Riyadh on Thursday. (Saba)
TT
20
TT

Yemenis Hail Announcement on Accelerating Aid from Saudi Arabia, UAE

Prince Khalid bin Salman and Dr. Al-Alimi meet in Riyadh on Thursday. (Saba)
Prince Khalid bin Salman and Dr. Al-Alimi meet in Riyadh on Thursday. (Saba)

Yemenis welcomed the announcement that aid from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will be accelerated to the war-torn country.

The aid, worth around 3.3 billion dollars, will improve services, most notably electricity, water and transportation, and boost the economy and local currency.

Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi had held talks in Riyadh on Thursday with Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, who announced a new package of projects in Yemen, worth 600 million dollars.

They also agreed to accelerate the delivery of funding from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen will implement 17 projects, worth $400 million, that cover six sectors, including energy, transportation, education, water, health, and building state institutions.

It will provide $200 million to provide oil derivatives to operate power stations to meet the needs of the Yemeni people and ease their suffering.

Yemenis in the interim capital Aden and liberated regions are hoping that the announcement will lead to tangible change in the coming weeks, especially in providing fuel and improving electricity.

The new push from Saudi Arabia and the UAE includes implementing 17 urgent projects in Aden, Taiz and Hadramawt. The Yemeni government and Central Bank in Aden will meanwhile, focus on receiving the Saudi-Emirati deposit, worth 2 billion dollars.

The latest aid announcement boosted the rial, which traded at 1,050 to the dollar. The rate is expected to improve even further.

Yemeni economic researcher Abdulhamid al-Masajidi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the development package announced by Saudi Arabia will have a positive impact on the local economy and public services, most notably water and electricity.

“The package will help the government provide the necessary political and security environment to carry out the desired reforms from the Arab Monetary Fund,” he added.

The funds will be used to provide fuel and build a gas power plant to meet the rising local demand, he revealed.

Most Viewed

 
Gulf

UAE 'Probably' Won't Join Gaza Stabilization Force, Says Senior Official

Emirati presidential advisor Anwar Gargash (Reuters)
Emirati presidential advisor Anwar Gargash (Reuters)
TT
20
TT

UAE 'Probably' Won't Join Gaza Stabilization Force, Says Senior Official

Emirati presidential advisor Anwar Gargash (Reuters)
Emirati presidential advisor Anwar Gargash (Reuters)

The United Arab Emirates is not planning to join the international stabilization force for Gaza because it lacks a clear framework, a senior official said on Monday.

"The UAE does not yet see a clear framework for the stability force, and under such circumstances will probably not participate in such a force," Emirati presidential advisor Anwar Gargash told the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate forum.

The US-coordinated international force has been seen as likely to include troops from Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye, as well as the UAE, reported AFP.

Last week, US President Donald Trump said he expected the force to be in Gaza "very soon", as a fragile ceasefire holds following two years of war.

Gulf

Source to Asharq Al-Awsat: Jeddah Platform Still Open to Sudan’s Warring Parties

Sudanese refugees participate in an awareness-raising session at the Tine transit camp in Chad on November 8, 2025. (AFP)
Sudanese refugees participate in an awareness-raising session at the Tine transit camp in Chad on November 8, 2025. (AFP)
TT
20
TT

Source to Asharq Al-Awsat: Jeddah Platform Still Open to Sudan’s Warring Parties

Sudanese refugees participate in an awareness-raising session at the Tine transit camp in Chad on November 8, 2025. (AFP)
Sudanese refugees participate in an awareness-raising session at the Tine transit camp in Chad on November 8, 2025. (AFP)

A source close to the negotiations carried out by members of the international quartet on Sudan said that efforts are ongoing to reach a ceasefire in the war-torn country. The quartet includes Saudi Arabia, the United States, Egypt and United Arab Emirates.

The quartet is also working on delivering humanitarian aid ahead of launching civilian dialogue aimed at reaching a permanent solution to the conflict.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, the source said the quartet is currently proposing a three- to nine-month humanitarian truce during which humanitarian corridors can be opened to deliver aid to those in need. Agricultural production will also resume, allowing civilians to return to normal life.

Throughout this period, the quartet will contact the warring parties to reach an agreement on a permanent ceasefire, revealed the source.

Once reached, intra-civilian Sudanese dialogue will be held to agree on a constitution for the country and mechanisms to establish a parliament and government, as well as the executive agencies that organize the daily lives of the people across Sudan.

The Jeddah Platform still stands and is ready for dialogue with the warring parties, added the source, recalling a Sudanese government statement from a year ago that stressed commitment to it.

The platform was initially agreed to by the warring parties, it stressed.

The quartet is hoping that the parties will positively respond to its efforts, the source told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Moreover, it noted the massive efforts carried out by Saudi Arabia, individually and within the quartet, to reach a ceasefire, stemming from its keenness on Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity.

Before and during the war, the Kingdom has worked with all Sudanese parties to persuade them to work on developing their country and steer clear of disputes, culminating in the Jeddah Agreement that was signed in May 2023, it remarked.

Saudi Arabia has maintained three humanitarian programs in Sudan covering food security and medical assistance, as well as helping in protecting infrastructure.

On the crisis in el-Fasher and Darfur, the source said the Kingdom is offering aid through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) and international organizations. It is also aiding Sudanese refugees in Chad and South Sudan.

Gulf

Saudi Navy Leads ‘Red Wave 8’ Drill with Wide Regional Participation

The Red Wave 8 drill kicked off at the King Faisal Naval Base on Sunday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
The Red Wave 8 drill kicked off at the King Faisal Naval Base on Sunday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
TT
20
TT

Saudi Navy Leads ‘Red Wave 8’ Drill with Wide Regional Participation

The Red Wave 8 drill kicked off at the King Faisal Naval Base on Sunday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
The Red Wave 8 drill kicked off at the King Faisal Naval Base on Sunday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)

The Royal Saudi Naval Forces, Royal Saudi Air Force and Border Guards launched on Sunday the “Red Wave 8” joint naval exercise at the King Faisal Naval Base in the Western Fleet.

Several armed forces from countries overlooking the Red Sea are taking part in the drill, including Sudan, Djibouti and Mauritania, as well as Pakistan.

The exercise is part of the joint military cooperation between them and efforts to protect vital waterways.

Military leaders from the participating countries attended the launch on Sunday. The drill will conclude on Thursday with field demonstrations that reflect the level of coordination and preparedness of the forces.

Commander of Saudi Arabia's Western Fleet Rear Admiral Mansour bin Saud Al-Juaid told Asharq Al-Awsat that the drill is part of a series of others carried out by the naval forces with the aim of raising combat readiness and developing capabilities.

He said the Red Sea was chosen for the exercise given its strategic depth and economic importance to regional countries.

The Red Sea is among the world’s most vital waterways and securing it is an Arab and international responsibility, he stressed.

The Red Wave 8 drill includes training in implementing tactical concepts, as well as cyberwarfare and combating attacks by speedboats. Forces will be trained in counter-terrorism; fighting piracy, smuggling and illegal migration; and protecting marine shipping lanes.

Al-Juaid said the Red Wave 8 drill reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to bolstering collective naval security through building joint capacities and unifying efforts in confronting any threats to waterways or vital infrastructure in the Red Sea, all in line with Saudi Vision 2030 that places regional security and marine stability as strategic priorities.