Yemeni Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, Dr. Mohammed Al-Zaouri, affirmed that Saudi-Yemeni relations are deeply rooted in history, deriving their strength from the commonalities between the two brotherly peoples and nations. These ties go beyond shared religion and language to include the bonds of brotherhood and kinship.

In an interview with his excellency, he stated that Saudi Arabia represents a support for Yemen in times of hardship and dire straits, serving as a living example of solidarity and brotherhood in facing the current challenges Yemen is undergoing. This is especially true after the declaration of the destructive war ignited by the Houthis on Yemen, in both the North and South. Saudi Arabia has played a leading role in extending bridges of cooperation to support the government and its institutions to advance, overcome the effects of the war, and confront the overwhelming economic, social, political, and military circumstances, working towards building a future dominated by stability and development. The Yemeni Minister of Social Affairs and Labor discussed several important topics through the following interview:

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Interview Text

Tell us about the relations between Saudi Arabia and Yemen in various fields?

Saudi-Yemeni relations are deeply rooted in history and derive their strength from the commonalities between the two brotherly peoples and nations. These ties go beyond shared religion and language to include the bonds of brotherhood and kinship woven over successive decades, representing a unique model of relations rarely paralleled in terms of social specificity, similarity of customs, traditions, lifestyles, and feelings of brotherhood felt only by the peoples of the two nations, whose hearts have harmonized in affection and whose arms and hands have joined on the paths of work and construction. The two countries share a long land border. This geographical proximity has helped strengthen the economic, social, cultural, and political relations between the two peoples since ancient times. Saudi Arabia has absorbed hundreds of thousands of skilled Yemeni workers, who have contributed significantly to construction and development efforts since the founding of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by working in vital sectors such as construction, trade, and development, and establishing diverse commercial houses. The relationship has been, and continues to be, derived from the spirit of brotherhood and good neighborliness, inspired by the shared historical, human, and religious legacy. Saudi Arabia represents the support in times of hardship and dire straits, as a living example of solidarity and brotherhood in facing the current challenges our country is going through, especially after the declaration of the destructive war ignited by the Houthis on our people in both the North and South. Saudi Arabia has played a leading role in extending bridges of cooperation to support the government and its institutions to advance, overcome the effects of the war, confront the overwhelming economic, social, political, and military circumstances, and work towards building a future dominated by stability and development.

What about the efforts of the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center?

Saudi Arabia has provided, and continues to provide, support in various fields through direct support to the state budget or through its humanitarian arms represented by the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center. This aims to enable the legitimate Yemeni government to overcome the economic and humanitarian challenges resulting from ten years of war on the state, empower government institutions to perform their tasks in serving citizens, support infrastructure to facilitate social services such as electricity, health, and education, and enhance the institutional capacities of government and civil society organizations through training and rehabilitation programs for Yemeni cadres. This improves the efficiency and effectiveness of these institutions in providing services to citizens.

On the social front, many programs have been implemented to empower youth and women in rural areas, in addition to orphan care programs, projects to protect and empower women affected by gender-based violence, and the provision of emergency humanitarian assistance such as food, shelter, support for orphan families, support for the displaced, and support for vulnerable groups such as institutions for people with disabilities. Job opportunities are also provided for youth through the implementation of developmental projects in some sectors, which helps improve living standards and reduce unemployment. Additionally, a large number of projects have included infrastructure in the education, transport, health, and water sectors in various provinces. Saudi support for Yemen aims to enhance social and economic stability in the country, improve the lives of citizens, and provide them with the necessary humanitarian and developmental assistance.

What are the social legacies of the war, and how have you managed to overcome them?

The social impacts left by the war are very significant. Indeed, the United Nations described the situation in Yemen as the worst humanitarian crisis in history. The war led to the collapse of services in all areas, such as health, education, and social care. Electricity stopped, the currency collapsed, public finances collapsed, salaries stopped, and unemployment expanded. The war produced a multi-dimensional humanitarian crisis and an unprecedented deterioration in the labor market, with fundamental challenges in various fields for decades. Consequently, challenges increased, particularly in the field of social protection, amidst rising poverty rates, lack of services, deteriorating development indicators, and declining institutional and humanitarian performance. Unemployment rates rose to record levels exceeding 60% among youth, transforming from an economic problem into a serious social crisis. Economic sectors are witnessing an almost complete collapse, with more than 70% of establishments ceasing operations, depriving millions of families of their primary source of income. Meanwhile, the public sector suffers from an inability to pay employee salaries due to scarce resources after the halt of oil and gas exports, while over 70% of the population lives below the poverty line. The phenomenon of displacement is exacerbating, with over 4.5 million displaced people living in extremely complex conditions. Despite these immense challenges, we are working with extraordinary efforts and unlimited support from the Arab Coalition, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, along with UN and international organizations, and a large number of international donors, foremost among them the World Bank.

Tell us about the coordination with Saudi Arabia, and how were you able to secure salaries, and who helped you overcome this concern?

The level of Saudi-Yemeni coordination is the most important factor in the success of relief, development, and reconstruction efforts. This coordination has gone through several stages and evolved with the launch of the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen and the reactivation of governmental cooperation frameworks between Yemeni and Saudi ministries within the framework of the Supreme Coordination Council, which worked on outlining frameworks for political, economic, and social cooperation between the two countries.

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center leads direct humanitarian coordination efforts with the Yemeni government through the Supreme Relief Committee, in partnership with over 100 local Yemeni organizations, to ensure aid reaches those deserving under the supervision of the field offices of the King Salman Center and the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen in Aden and some other provinces. This is to organize relief work and ensure transparency through direct coordination with the official authorities. A joint annual response plan is developed, identifying humanitarian needs by province. Furthermore, there are specialized sub-committees for the economic, financial, developmental, social, and other aspects. Saudi Arabia has also provided direct financial support to bolster the government's efforts in recent years. For example, in August 2023, $1.2 billion in economic support was provided to Yemen to address the budget deficit, support salaries and operational expenses, and ensure food security. Additionally, in December 2024, support worth $500 million was provided, including a $300 million deposit in the Yemeni Central Bank and $200 million to cover the budget deficit. In February 2024, $250 million was deposited as part of the due installment of the aid package. Finally, in September 2025, Saudi Arabia announced a new aid package worth $368 million, including support for the general budget, fuel, and operational expenses. This support has helped improve the Yemeni state's ability to disburse salaries, contributing to partial social stability and helping reduce some economic pressures, such as rising prices. Reports indicate that fuel support and deposits in the Central Bank have contributed to reducing the costs of some goods and supporting basic services and vital sectors like electricity and food security, which has reflected positively on improving the living environment for groups of citizens. Despite all mentioned, the challenge persists due to weak government revenues, currency deterioration, and the halt of oil production and export, as the state's limited resources do not cover even half of the state's essential needs, services, expenditures, and the salary bill. This urgently requires the resumption of oil and gas exports to address the catastrophic deficit in the state budget, as this is the effective solution to all the state's major financial problems amidst the war and its catastrophic results.

What are your programs for qualifying workers in all fields for the labor market?

We are working in coordination with the Ministry of Technical Education and the Skills Development Fund to prepare and qualify youth for the labor market, in addition to continuous in-service training programs. The Ministry, through its labor and labor relations sectors, works on drawing up plans and visions for training and qualifying the workforce in coordination with Arab and international labor organizations. The Ministry, in coordination with supporting entities, organizes vocational and technical training programs, directing them and planning them according to development needs and the labor market. This also includes approving and developing educational and training plans and curricula in the field of vocational training. It is also responsible for regulating employment, linking vocational training to the labor market, and forming partnerships with civil society organizations and international organizations to train young men and women, aiming to prepare them for the labor market, empower them economically, and provide them with the necessary equipment and tools to establish small projects and secure a decent livelihood.

How is the support from the Presidential Leadership Council and the government for your ministry's programs?

The Yemeni government and the Presidential Leadership Council are doing their utmost to provide support and care for all ministries and state agencies operating in Aden. However, unfortunately, with limited and scarce resources, the government has been unable to provide sufficient operational budgets to carry out daily tasks and duties. Working under these circumstances has become a real challenge and an unimaginable complexity amidst the currency collapse, resource scarcity, low salaries, and delays in their disbursement to employees, sometimes for more than 4 months. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor is the most affected by this situation, as it is non-revenue generating, and its task is to provide social and humanitarian care services for vulnerable groups, and protect children, orphans, women, and people with disabilities. Nevertheless, we are optimistic that the Leadership Council and the government are sparing no effort to find solutions and treatments for all financial, structural, and foundational problems to improve the conditions of institutions, enable them to provide services to citizens, provide job opportunities for graduates and the unemployed, and provide institutional and technical support to address the economic and humanitarian challenges the country is facing.

What are your most important future projects and programs, and who supports you in that?

Future plans focus on implementing the Strategic Framework for Social Protection 2026-2030, the National Plan for Child Protection 2026-2029, developing a national social protection information system, rehabilitating social care centers, and promoting youth entrepreneurship in partnership with UNICEF, the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction of Yemen, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, and international donors. Also, in coordination with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, we have prepared a needs assessment study to equip the Disability, Physical Therapy, and Psychological Rehabilitation Hospital in the capital, Aden, with medical equipment and devices. This hospital will provide services to people with disabilities in a number of provinces neighboring Aden.

We also aspire to implement a project to enhance integrative cooperation between employers, workers, and labor organizations in the fields of social protection by preparing a strategic framework to protect workers in all sectors, establishing occupational health and safety laboratories, activating a labor inspection access program, working on developing the database and creating electronic labor sites to document worker information and data, implementing organized training sessions to build labor capacities, and enhancing labor culture through the establishment of specialized work studies and research centers to achieve the desired goals.