The arresting of a foreign expert belonging to a giant oil company working in Yemen at Sana'a International Airport for smuggling antiques and monuments have aroused a lot of questions on the mechanisms relating to the work of these companies in archeological sites, and the role to be played by the concerned authorities including oversight of their works and the mechanism to protect this priceless wealth. 

According to official statistics, security authorities have arrested and foiled five smuggling tries this year and all smugglers have been experts working for oil companies inside the country.

The total number of recovered monumental pieces mount to 80 including statues, daggers, coins and other precious pieces.

The first smuggling attempt for the current year was discovered on January 24 as security men arrested an Italian expert working for a gas company and was trying to smuggle bronze statutes.

Another Italian expert was stopped on March 23 and he was seeking to smuggle six bronze statues, 17 stone plates, 12 daggers, and three copper amulets.

Likewise, a French expert was arrested on March 26 and he was smuggling bronze statues and arrows. His fellow national was stopped in Sana'a Airport on May 1 as he was about to leave the country. The French expert was trying to smuggle eight bronze statues, five stone statutes, 15 metal coins and three stone stamps.

For the first time, Yemeni authorities referred the French experts to prosecution and started his trial over smuggling Yemeni monuments. However, observers assure that he will be set free as was the case with several smugglers especially when they are supported by oil companies.

Yemeni economists see that the foreign experts are not content with the millions of dollars they make from the country's oil wealth as they further seek to smuggle thousands of monumental pieces. Most of the smuggled pieces are sold in fairs for millions of dollars in European and international fairs.

The latest attempt for smuggling occurred when the monuments were smuggled in equipment cases which are not inspected by authorities. In previous years, thousands of pieces were smuggled through diplomatic cases or oil tankers.

Head of Monuments at the Ministry of Tourism Ahmed Al-Rawdhi pointed out that his ministry will demand the Oil Ministry to shoulder the responsibility for protecting monumental pieces as the arrested experts work for them.  

Al-Rawdhi added that they will appoint superintendents to join all oil and gas companies working across the country, hinting the increase number of smuggling tries is a dangerous indicator and adds up the accumulating problems that monuments sector faces.

Shabwa local Saleh Muhsen Al-Akhram stresses that the problem lies on those who are in charge of protecting and safeguarding these monuments, maintaining he fears complicity of monuments protection officials with oil experts especially under the deteriorating economic situation of Yemeni public servant. 

Moreover, Al-Rawdhi continued that these were just the failed attempts and stressed that earlier tries could have been successful, revealing that smuggling is made through the airplanes of oil companies which are not subjected to inspection.

He asked for an unrelenting oversight of the activities of all oil companies and noted that oil companies should not receive oil blocs only when making sure that they do not contain archeological sites.

For his part, head of Monuments Office at Shabwa Muhsen Khairan Al-Zubaidi stated that the company to which the arrested expert belong to does not coordinate with his office and revealed that the company has recruited four graduates and worked with the German and French Institutes for Archeology since 2005.

Al-Zubaidi went on to say that some office employees worked for 20 days with the company; however, they withdrew after the company declined to allow them to participate in excavation activities along the gas pipeline stretching from Mareb's Safer to Shabwa's Balhaf on the Arab Sea.

Sources indicated that the experts of both institutes have discovered so far 171 archeological sites, three of which are of prime importance as they contain cemeteries and graveyards dating back to prehistoric eras.

He also maintained that smuggling of monumental pieces will continue as long as the work of oil companies remain away from concerned authorities and locals' eyes.