RIYADH, October 29 – A Saudi tanker reached Aden carrying the first installment of oil derivatives such as diesel and mazut, worth USD$60 million. They are meant to be supplied to power stations in provinces liberated by the Yemeni government as part of the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY).
Aden Refinery Company has been distributing the 87,000-tonne supply to different directorates for them to be able to keep their power plants up and running 24 hours a day. The initiative that will be supervised by Yemen’s legitimate government is likely to benefit about 8.5 million Yemenis.
“The arrival of the first installment of oil derivatives is a significant event for Yemen, as well as for Saudi Arabia. The move comes after a Royal Decree was issued by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques [King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz]. The decision shows the generosity of King Salman and the Crown Prince towards our brothers in Yemen,” said Mohammed bin Saeed Al Jaber, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Yemen, who is also supervisor of SDRPY. “Development of Yemen can’t wait for the Houthi militias to accept political solutions. Moreover, they are stealing from the Yemeni Central Bank and trying to starve the Yemeni population. Development of Yemen is a priority for us.”.”
Al Jaber said that the program was an example of Saudi Arabia’s seriousness in developing Yemen and giving a better future to its people.
“You can see the destruction caused by Iranian-backed militias, and you also see the reality – the development and construction being carried out by the Kingdom,” Al Jaber said. “The difference between the two visions is clear: Iran is spending time and resources to smuggle missiles and send soldiers, while the Kingdom has been working to rebuild the nation and the future of its people.”
Dr. Maeen Abdelmalak, Prime Minister of Yemen, expressed his appreciation for the Saudi gesture saying: “Today, we celebrated receiving the first shipment of the Saudi fuel grant worth $60 million per month, for our power plants in the temporary capital Aden. This sets a milestone in the process of continued Saudi support for our economy, development and reconstruction.”
Yemen’s legitimate government and SDRPY have agreed that the distribution be carried out in coordination with a local committee comprising a representative from the oil company, SDRPY, the National Electricity Company, the Central System of Auditing and Accountability, the chamber of commerce and civic entities. The committee’s work will involve visiting the -power stations that have been designated to receive oil derivatives, checking on the equipment and monitoring the amount of oil derivatives supplied by SDRPY.