Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) has welcomed fresh Saudi economic support worth 1.38 billion Saudi riyals (around 368 million USD) aimed at stabilizing the country’s fragile economy and advancing local reforms.
PLC chief Rashad Al-Alimi said in a statement on social media platform X that the grant demonstrates Riyadh’s “strong commitment to the Yemeni people and their aspirations for stability, peace, and development.” He noted that part of the funds will be used to cover operating costs of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Hospital in Aden.
Yemen’s Prime Minister Salem bin Buraik also praised the grant, highlighting that it would strengthen the economy and safeguard the progress achieved under government-led reforms. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry clarified that the support, provided through the Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction of Yemen (SPDRY), will aid the government budget, petroleum subsidies, and essential public services, according to Xinhua news agency.
The new grant comes amid mounting frustration in Aden and other southern cities controlled by the Yemeni government, where tens of thousands of public employees have gone without salaries for over three months.
Since the outbreak of civil war in 2014, Yemen’s economy has been in freefall. Real GDP per capita has plunged by more than half, poverty rates have surged, and the conflict has fragmented the country between rival administrations, devalued the currency, and left millions reliant on humanitarian aid.
Reports from Xinhua indicate that in Aden and neighboring cities, delayed salary payments are pushing families of civil servants, teachers, and healthcare workers to the brink of survival. Recent weeks have seen protests erupt in Taiz and other government-controlled areas, with demonstrators outside government offices chanting against corruption and demanding immediate wage payments.
Local activists and labor union members have also warned of strikes, raising concerns that essential public services could come to a halt. The Yemeni government, based in Aden, acknowledges the crisis and cites a severe liquidity shortage as the primary cause. Officials have pointed to declining revenue collections and the failure of some agencies to transfer funds to the central bank as contributing factors.
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