وزير النقل اليمني لـ«عكاظ»: الدعم السعودي محوري ومهم ونتائجه انعكست على تحسن الخدمات

The Yemeni Minister of Transport, Mohsen Haidara Al-Amri, clarified that his priorities during the upcoming phase focus on rehabilitating the infrastructure of the air, sea, and land transport sectors, enhancing the efficiency of the institutions under his ministry, and improving the quality of services provided to citizens. In his dialogue with "Okaz," he emphasized the full commitment to work towards developing the transport sector to become an important contributor to development, highlighting the efforts made by his ministry to develop Yemen Airways in coordination with its leadership, which operates according to a studied economic feasibility that improves its services at fair and reasonable ticket prices. He addressed several important issues and completed works related to the airports sector with Saudi support, reviewing aspects and areas of significant Saudi support for the transport sector that have led to a qualitative shift and noticeable development in the level of services provided to citizens. He pointed out that Aden International Airport has received substantial Saudi support, which has contributed to enhancing the airport's efficiency, and that the third phase of this support focuses on updating navigation systems to meet international standards. The Yemeni Minister of Transport discussed several important topics through the following dialogue:

Rehabilitating Infrastructure

• First, can you outline your main priorities for the upcoming phase?

•• Our priorities in the upcoming phase focus on rehabilitating the infrastructure of the transport sector in all its forms (air, sea, and land), enhancing the efficiency of the institutions under the ministry, and improving the quality of services provided to citizens. We are also working to enhance safety and security in the transport system and expand regional and international partnerships to support recovery and reconstruction efforts.

• What are your plans to improve Yemen Airways services, develop its destinations, and make prices accessible to everyone?

•• We are working on restructuring the prices of Yemen Airways, gradually updating its fleet, and opening new destinations based on a studied economic feasibility. We are also striving, along with the company's leadership, to build competitive capacity and reduce operational costs, which will positively reflect on ticket prices while maintaining service and safety levels. Our goal is to have a strong national carrier that serves citizens at fair and reasonable prices.

Attention to the Land Transport Sector

• What about your directions in the land transport sector and the development of land crossings?

•• The land transport sector receives significant attention, as we are working on updating the regulations governing it, improving infrastructure, and developing public transport services. Regarding land crossings, there are joint efforts with the relevant authorities to update inspection systems, expedite crossing procedures, and enhance the logistics services for travelers and traders with substantial support and cooperation from our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Strategic Saudi-Yemeni Relations

• What are the areas of cooperation between Yemen and Saudi Arabia in transport, and what are your aspirations to enhance them?

•• The relationship with our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is strategic, and we look forward to expanding cooperation in areas such as airport operations, port rehabilitation, and land crossing development, in addition to building capacities and exchanging technical expertise. We are also working to enhance logistical connectivity to facilitate trade movement and the movement of citizens between the two countries.

• How do you evaluate Saudi support for Yemen in the transport sector?

•• Saudi support has been and remains pivotal and important in supporting the Yemeni transport sector, whether through direct funding for projects or technical and operational support. This support has contributed to maintaining the continuity of several vital facilities despite the difficult circumstances.

Saudi Support and Service Improvement

• What is the impact and results of this support on serving the Yemeni people?

•• The support has directly reflected on improving the level of services at some airports, facilitating the movement of passengers and goods, and maintaining the minimum readiness of infrastructure. All of this serves the Yemeni citizen and alleviates their suffering in mobility and travel.

• What about the support provided through the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen?

•• The Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen has provided qualitative projects in the transport sector, including support for airports and roads, in addition to supporting infrastructure projects. We are working in continuous coordination with the program to ensure that support is directed towards the most urgent priorities.

Important and Vital Saudi Support

• We sense from your remarks that the Saudi support related to Yemeni airports is significant, and we have followed this through Aden International Airport. Can you provide us with an overview of this support?

•• Aden International Airport has witnessed significant support from our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which included rehabilitation and development works for the infrastructure and improving operational readiness. This support has helped enhance the airport's efficiency and its capacity to receive flights and serve passengers under exceptional conditions.

• What does the third phase of the announced development of Aden Airport include?

•• The third phase of the development of Aden International Airport focuses on completing technical expansion, updating navigation, security, and safety systems, and improving passenger lounges and various services to increase the airport's capacity and meet international standards.

Discussions for Developing All Ports

• Is there future cooperation to develop Yemeni ports?

•• Yes, there are ongoing discussions and consultations with our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and international partners to support and develop Yemeni ports, due to their strategic importance in supporting the national economy and securing supply chains. In this regard, we look forward to qualitative projects in this sector in the coming period.

• What future projects will you focus on?

•• We will focus on projects to rehabilitate major airports, develop commercial ports, improve international road networks, in addition to digital transformation in transport services, and building the capacities of national staff to ensure sustainable development.

Saudi Support is Fraternal and Sincere

• How do you view Saudi support in Yemen?

•• We view it with great appreciation as it is sincere fraternal support that has contributed to stabilizing many vital sectors, including the transport sector. We look forward to further strategic partnership that serves the interests of both brotherly peoples.

• What concerns you currently, and is there anything you would like to add?

•• What concerns us the most is ensuring the continuity and improvement of services despite the challenges, accelerating the pace of recovery in the transport sector, and alleviating the burdens on citizens and travelers. We also emphasize the importance of integrating efforts among all parties to achieve tangible results on the ground. We would like to affirm our full commitment to work towards developing the transport sector in Yemen to be a contributor to development and serve the citizen, and we appreciate the support of our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and all partners, and we look forward to a more stable and prosperous future, God willing.