Despite the different challenges hindering the cooperation between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, the latter has recently started to be more active with the Royal Office Representative Mohammed Al-Hadithi inaugurating the commercial attaché headquarters in Yemen.

Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Ali bin Mohammed Al-Hamdan pointed out that inauguration comes in translation of the developed relations between Yemen and the Kingdom, especially when investments, economic and trade exchanges between both countries have been increasing.

Al-Hamdan further stressed that this will reinforce the commercial swap and will increase the flow of the Saudi capital to Yemen and the opposite.

Sheikh Al-Hadithi, who supervises the committee charged with supporting influential sheikhs, intellectuals, and officials headed to signing agreements for financing development projects in Yemen through the sums pledged by Saudi Arabia during London Donor Conference.

The committee also stressed the importance of increasing the volume of trade exchange between both countries; however, observers claim that the Yemeni market is a consumer for Saudi goods while Saudi Arabia market does not accept Yemeni products under the pretext of not reaching the Saudi standards.

Both sides agreed to ease the inflow of goods and services and to facilitate all measures in all border outlets, asserting as well the importance of exchanging visits of business delegations, setting up joint commercial exhibition, symposiums and launching joint investment projects.

This comes at a time Yemeni businessmen and producers complain of the risky inflow of Saudi commodities to the Yemeni markets as this will affect their commodities.

Farmers and exporters complaints were also present as both sides agreed to cooperate as for expanding the activities of standards authorities as well as increasing the number of Yemeni trainers in the Saudi Arabia Authority for Standards.

Further, both sides were negotiating the possibility of sending Yemeni locals with serious and difficult medical conditions to Saudi to receive medical treatment. Saudi Arabia agreed to grant 100 grants per year for Yemenis to meet free medical services in Saudi hospitals as well as having four annual visits of Saudi medical teams to treat the incurable cases in Yemen.  

They also addressed electricity issues as both sides agreed to work for rationalizing consumption and exchanging information in this regard. They agreed to set the agreement relating to the Saudi grant mounting to SR 178 million for financing the 5th project of energy.

Security, terrorism, and drugs were among the subjects addressed by the committees and both sides agreed to continue security cooperation as for fighting terrorism, drugs, and border authorities' organization.

They also agreed on preparing four projects to be implemented under the Saudi grant as well as financing Amran-Sana'a-Aden highway with an additional loan mounting to SR 400 million.

Despite the developed relations, many challenges stand between both countries, especially concerning Yemeni laborers working in Saudi Arabia as well as the bad treatment of illegal immigrants by Saudi.

Yemeni workers also complain of the high cost of attaining a visa to Saudi Arabia, especially when the price of the visa could reach YR 1 million. They further complained of working under guarantors which restrict their freedom in work and movement.

Saudi Ambassador to Yemen has been exerting immense effort to establish good relations with social and political circles in Yemen over the last couple of years, in an effort to build more cooperation between the two neighboring countries.