Officially… Saudi Arabia begins gaining control over Yemen’s mineral wealth

Exclusive Follow-ups – Al-Khabar Al-Yemeni:

A statement issued by the Saudi Council of Ministers regarding Yemen’s mineral wealth has sparked a wide wave of controversy in Yemeni political and media circles, amid warnings of potential repercussions on national sovereignty and the country’s natural resources.

The Saudi Council of Ministers had announced “authorizing the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, in his capacity as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Geological Survey—or his representative—to discuss with the Yemeni side a draft memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Geological Survey and the Geological Survey and Mineral Resources Authority in the Republic of Yemen, aiming for technical and scientific cooperation in the geological field, and to sign the proposed agreement.”

Conversely, Yemeni politicians and activists expressed their rejection of any memorandums of understanding or agreements concluded between Saudi Arabia and the Aden government loyal to it, considering that this government was formed in Riyadh and does not represent the aspirations of the Yemeni people but rather adopts Saudi interests.

They warned that such memorandums and agreements could be used as a cover to legitimize what they described as the “systematic plunder” of Yemeni wealth, referring to previous reports and investigative investigations that spoke of Saudi and Emirati involvement in exploiting Yemen’s natural resources in recent years.