وزير النفط اليمني لـ«عكاظ»: السعودية دعمت الشرعية لاستعادة مؤسسات الدولة

The Yemeni Minister of Oil and Minerals, Dr. Mohammed Bamqaa, confirmed that the decisions made by the Presidential Leadership Council and the government regarding the resumption of Yemeni oil exports are strategic and have been long awaited, as they reflect on the country's economy and the lives of the people. He stated, in an interview with "Okaz," that Saudi Arabia has stood by the legitimate government in all necessary aspects to restore the state with all its military, security, and economic components, which the Yemeni people will not forget throughout history. He pointed out that Saudi financial and developmental support, under the supervision of the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen, headed by the General Supervisor Ambassador Mohammed Al-Jaber, has significantly contributed to the continuity of institutions' work, the payment of salaries, and support for the electricity sector by providing the necessary derivatives to operate the stations. The Yemeni Minister of Oil addressed several important topics in the following dialogue:

• How do you view the decisions made by the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government regarding the resumption of oil exports?

•• These are important strategic decisions that have been delayed for a long time and have had a positive impact on the people, as they have restored a large part of the lost hope and will change the economic equation for the better, God willing.

Resumption of Oil Exports

• What are the implications of such decisions on Yemen's economy and everything related to services that touch the concerns of citizens?

•• Of course, it will have a positive impact on the economy and services as it was before; since the state budget relies in its investment plans and operational expenses of its institutions and the payment of salaries for employees in the republic on this resource, which is oil exports, accounting for up to 75% of its total allocations. However, the Houthi attacks in October 2022 caused the suspension of exports until today, in addition to the ongoing threats in this regard. The financial and developmental support from our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the supervision of the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen, headed by the General Supervisor Ambassador Mohammed Al-Jaber, has significantly contributed to the continuity of institutions' work, the payment of salaries, and support for the electricity sector by providing the necessary derivatives to operate the stations. Therefore, the state leadership decided to resume exports by all possible means to save the country and pay the salaries of all employees in the republic, which is the responsibility of the state.

Guaranteed Security Measures and Precautions

• How confident are you that there will be no threats targeting oil facilities, and in the event of an emergency – God forbid – what measures might the Yemeni government take to deal with it?

•• We are confident and reassured in the decisions of the President of the Leadership Council more than we are concerned about what may happen; because we trust that this decision was not taken until after all security measures and precautions were implemented to ensure the protection of all facilities and resources of the country, and we will perform our technical role in implementing the strategic decision made by the President of the Leadership Council.

• What are the guarantees or supporting factors in achieving such desired results?

•• There are guarantees and measures that have been taken under the auspices of the Prime Minister to achieve the goal and regain control, and of course, the results will be very good.

• What is the level of coordination with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in this step and other initiatives aimed at supporting the Yemeni government and serving the interests of the people?

•• As we mentioned, the level of coordination is very high in all aspects that concern the state and the Yemeni people, achieving their long-awaited hopes and aspirations.

A Saudi Stand in All Aspects

• How do you view the level of coordination between Saudi Arabia and Yemen in various military, security, and economic fields?

•• Our brothers in Saudi Arabia stand by the legitimate government in all necessary aspects to restore the state with all its military, security, and economic components, and we owe them this kindness that the Yemeni people will not forget throughout history.

Support from the Saudi Development Program

• What about cooperation with the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen in implementing vital projects?

•• The Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen does not wait for anyone to speak about it; because the steps it has taken have become projects on the ground that speak for themselves, and we thank them for their efforts and generous support.

• How do you view the future in light of these advanced steps taken by the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government?

•• These steps that have been taken are considered extraordinary strategic steps that the legitimacy has not taken since 2015, and for this reason, our outlook for the future and for the people is optimistic, and we hope it will be crowned with success.