Saudi Arabia Announces SAR 1.9 Billion Yemen Development Package And Fuel Grant

Saudi Arabia, through the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY), is launching a new support package for Yemen that combines 28 development projects worth SAR1.9 billion with a fresh grant of petroleum derivatives, aiming to keep power plants running, strengthen essential services, and support stability across several Yemeni governorates.

The package comes under the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, with close follow-up by Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, as part of Saudi Arabia’s continued assistance to the Yemeni people.

SDRPY states that the new interventions span key sectors such as energy, education, transport, health, and infrastructure, and will serve governorates including Aden, Hadramout, Al-Mahrah, Socotra, Marib, Shabwah, Abyan, Al-Dhale’e, Lahij, and Taiz, implemented in coordination with the Yemeni government and local authorities to improve basic services and support security and economic activity.

According to SDRPY, these 28 new development projects and initiatives add to 27 vital projects already under implementation and expected for delivery during 2026–2027, bringing the total number of completed projects and initiatives since the program’s establishment in 2018 to 240, reflecting a sustained development track rather than short-term emergency interventions.

Key SDRPY projects and initiatives are distributed among governorates as follows:

In the health sector, Hadramout will see the construction of Hadramout University Hospital, planned to expand access to specialised healthcare and help meet medical needs in the governorate, while in Al-Mahrah, SDRPY is beginning a three-year operation plan for the King Salman Medical and Educational City after completing all construction and equipment stages.

The King Salman Medical and Educational City in Al-Mahrah also includes the establishment of a College of Applied and Health Sciences, designed to provide specialised training for healthcare professions, and in Socotra the program’s medical support covers operating Socotra Hospital to ensure continuity of services, alongside building Sabah Hospital in Abyan and operating Shabwa Hospital in Shabwa Governorate.

Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen development projects in governorates

SDRPY’s education-related initiatives extend across several governorates, with plans for a fully equipped girls’ educational complex in Marib, a technical institute and a college of education in Socotra, new colleges of computer science and information technology at Hadramout and Seiyun universities, and the construction and equipping of model schools in Abyan, Shabwah, Socotra, and other areas.

The program further intends to construct and equip 30 schools in Hadramout, Aden, Lahij, Abyan, Al-Dhale’e, Shabwa, and Socotra, at a rate of 10 schools each year, which is expected to widen access to education and contribute to enhanced learning outcomes and overall system efficiency in those governorates.

Aden is due to receive several major SDRPY interventions, including continued operation of Prince Mohammed bin Salman Hospital for three additional years to support health services, construction of Yemen’s first desalination plant of its type to ease freshwater shortages and protect groundwater resources, and the second and third phases of Aden Airport Rehabilitation, covering runway reconstruction plus new navigation and communications systems.

The Aden work package also involves a government headquarters and presidential complex project to assist Yemeni institutions in carrying out administrative duties, together with construction, expansion, and upgrading of the coastal road network, which aims to improve movement within the governorate and support commercial, social, and governmental activities that depend on reliable transport links.

In Taiz, SDRPY is establishing Al-Ain Rural Hospital with full medical equipment, while also building a 30-megawatt power plant to strengthen electricity supply, and operating Al-Mokha Hospital to maintain medical services, whereas in Al-Dhale’e the program plans Al-Dhale’e Rural Hospital, model schools, and training schemes to develop teacher skills and improve classroom performance.

Infrastructure is also a focus in Marib and Hadramout, where SDRPY will implement the final phase of the Al-Abr (Ghuwayrban–Al-Mukhtam) Highway expansion and rehabilitation in Marib, following completion of earlier phases totalling 90 kilometres, and will rehabilitate and upgrade the Al-Abr–Seiyun Road in Hadramout, steps intended to support safer movement, trade, and economic exchanges.

In Lahij Governorate, development support includes establishing a maternal and child health centre and a maternity emergency centre in Ras Al-Ara, while Shabwa will see expanded access to education through model schools and support to the agricultural sector via a program to strengthen the agricultural value chain, aimed at improving productivity and farmer incomes.

Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen development projects in energy and services

The grant of petroleum derivatives announced alongside the SDRPY development projects is intended to operate power plants across all Yemeni governorates, with officials expecting improved reliability of electricity supplies to hospitals, medical centres, roads, schools, airports, ports, and other public and private facilities, as well as benefits for industrial activities and trade routes.

Across Socotra, Al-Mahrah, and other governorates, SDRPY’s broader initiatives also feature construction of a Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Mosque on Socotra Island, several model schools and educational institutions, and programs designed to maintain or upgrade public facilities, measures that collectively aim to support stability, public services, and living conditions for communities in the targeted Yemeni areas.

With inputs from SPA