The internationally recognized government and the Saudi Yemen Development and Rehabilitation Program (SDRPY) have signed a new memorandum of cooperation aimed at overhauling road infrastructure and revitalizing the economic and trade sector.
The agreement, signed by Hussein Al Aqrabi, Minister of Public Works and Roads, and Mohammed Al Jaber, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Yemen and General Supervisor of the Program, marks a shift from emergency response to sustainable development based on institutional capacity building and improving basic services.
The agreement will ensure sustainable road maintenance and operations while increasing technical standards, the Saudi program said in a statement.
Planned measures include the installation of modern vehicle weighing stations to curb overloading, a major cause of road damage, and technical and advisory support for the rehabilitation and operation of transport networks. The initiative will also strengthen road maintenance funds in coordination with relevant Saudi authorities.
Projects under consideration include the expansion and rehabilitation of several major highways, particularly the strategic Al-Abul and Hijat Al-Abd roads, as well as other routes across multiple provinces.
With a total length of more than 200 kilometers, it is expected to reduce transportation costs and ease the flow of trade between states.
The signing coincided with a meeting with Tariq Saleh, a member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, and Al Aqrabi on the ministry’s next phase priorities.
The government’s vision places infrastructure at the heart of economic and social recovery.
Underscoring his ministry’s central role in establishing stability in liberated areas, Mr. Saleh said the repair of international and intergovernmental roads is essential to alleviate the hardships of the population and improve the movement of goods and goods.
Mr. Al Aqrabi outlined the ministry’s 2026 blueprint, which focuses on restoring strategic road networks and vital transport links, completing stalled projects, and improving urban landscapes to raise the nation’s profile and strengthen public trust in government institutions.
Saleh also said that high levels of performance are required at this stage to deliver tangible results, especially amid economic and humanitarian tensions in Yemen, and called for increasing the efficiency of road maintenance funds and enforcing transparent standards in resource management and project implementation.
Observers see the focus on transportation infrastructure as a strategic calculation. Roads are at the heart of supply chains and have a direct impact on the cost of goods and services, making road repair a practical gateway to stimulating local economies and driving investment.
Development drivers extend beyond transportation. During the same period, engagement between Yemeni authorities and Saudi programs expanded to deepen cooperation in health, education, energy, water, and agriculture.
In this regard, Salem Al-Khanbashi, Member of the Presidential Guidance Council and Governor of Hadramawt, met with Al-Jaber, and both sides reaffirmed the depth of Yemeni-Saudi ties and praised Saudi Arabia’s continued support in military, humanitarian, and development fields.
According to Yemeni state media, al-Jaber said Riyadh remains committed to providing comprehensive political, economic and development assistance to Yemen, with a focus on dialogue-based solutions that bring security, stability and sustainable development.
During a visit to the program’s headquarters in Riyadh, Mr. Al-Kambashi reviewed projects implemented under the broad development framework covering education, health, energy, transport, agriculture and fisheries, as well as efforts to improve basic services in Hadramaut and other liberated provinces.
Program stakeholders detailed ongoing projects designed around the core needs of citizens, prioritizing strengthening infrastructure and improving public service delivery to support social stability.
In the health sector, Yemen’s Minister of Public Health and Population, Qasem Bouhaibeh, met with the technical team of the Saudi program and discussed executive steps towards the establishment of a health fund, which is considered a strategic mechanism to ensure sustainable financing of health services and improve the quality of care.
Official sources said discussions covered the technical and procedural framework for launching the fund, including governance and transparency mechanisms to ensure resources are allocated in line with sector priorities and actual needs.
Bouhaibe said the health fund is a decisive step towards stabilizing the finances of health facilities, especially at a time of increasing pressure on the health system, praising Saudi support for building infrastructure, improving medical equipment and training human resources.
