Various Yemeni governorates have received new shipments of Saudi oil derivatives allocated for operating power plants, as part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's ongoing support for the brotherly Yemeni people. This vital step comes in response to the urgent needs of Yemen's energy sector and aims to ensure the continued operation of power plants and the provision of essential services to citizens amidst the exceptional circumstances the country is experiencing.
The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) is overseeing the supply and distribution of this grant, working in direct coordination with the Yemeni government and local authorities to ensure fuel reaches the targeted power plants and operates efficiently. This grant represents a lifeline for Yemen's electricity sector, which has suffered significant deterioration and partial collapse of its infrastructure, in addition to a severe and chronic fuel shortage throughout the years of conflict. This has previously led to prolonged power outages that negatively impacted all aspects of daily life and commerce.
This grant is of paramount importance, extending far beyond simply providing lighting for homes; it is the cornerstone of vital and essential services. Hospitals and health centers rely entirely on electricity to power medical equipment, intensive care units, and to store medicines and vaccines. This means that the availability of fuel directly contributes to saving lives and supporting the strained healthcare sector. A stable electricity supply also has a positive impact on the water and sanitation sector, as pumps require a continuous power supply to ensure the delivery of clean water to residential areas, thus limiting the spread of waterborne diseases and epidemics.
On the economic and financial front, the oil derivatives grant plays a pivotal role in bolstering economic stability in Yemen. By providing this fuel as a grant from the Kingdom, the significant burden on the Yemeni state budget is alleviated, as the country had been draining its hard currency reserves to import fuel from foreign markets. This financial saving helps the Central Bank of Yemen maintain relative stability in the exchange rate of the Yemeni rial against foreign currencies, curbing inflation and the rising prices of basic food commodities, which positively impacts the purchasing power of the average Yemeni citizen.
This grant embodies the depth of the fraternal and strategic relations between the two countries, and confirms the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s continued commitment to supporting Yemen in the recovery and reconstruction phase, not only through urgent relief support, but also through sustainable development projects aimed at improving the quality of life, supporting dilapidated infrastructure, and stimulating the local economy.
