One third of the Yemen’s budget is spent on defense and security. Last year, Yemen received funds from KSA exceeding two billion dollars while the UAE funds reached $774,000,000 in 2009.
With the economic outlook that shows the government’s inability to pay salaries to staff due to the current financial crisis, the state goes to buy Russian weapons worth more than $1 billion within the program of army.
The arms deal coincides with the wave of violence gripping the country and Yemenis being killed and wounded daily, as the purchase of weapons reflect on the deepening crisis in Yemen.
Igor Korothenko President of the Russian National Center for Analysis of International Trade with Weapons said that Yemen is interested in buying weapons and military technology on a large scale, pointing out that Yemen would like to get 30 new combat aircrafts multi-function model «MiG-29 SMT» helicopters «Mi 35,» Ka-52 »transport helicopters type «Mi 17», in addition to the tanks «T 72 M1» anti-tank-type «Cornette A» 20 missile launchers «Smerch» in addition to armored personnel carriers.

Russia gives Yemen weapons deal in exchange for using ports
Russia announced its interest in using Yemeni ports. According to Professor Ligurian, the assistance offered by Russia to Yemen should result in political benefits for Russia and help restore its prestige in the Arab world.

Military cooperation between Yemen and Russia
The first treaty of friendship and trade between Moscow and Sana’a was signed in 1928, while diplomatic relations were established in 1955. President Saleh visited Moscow six times (1981 -1984 -2002-2004 - 2009 - 2010).
According to Russia Today website, Yemen in recent years became a permanent customer for the purchase of various types of weapons.
In March 2007, a telephone conversation was held between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in which Saleh requested to be provided with urgent shipments of military equipment to Yemen at good prices because of the ongoing hostilities in the province of Saada.

Writing-off Yemeni debts
Under the agreement Russia and Yemen signed in Moscow in December 1999, 80% of Yemen’s debts were written off, which amounted to 4.6 billion dollars.
The Yemeni president came to Moscow with a comprehensive plan to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, and for canceling Yemeni debts to Russia by at least 2.5 billion dollars. In return Russian companies will get concessions in civil projects in Yemen. Talks in particular are going on the establishment of thermal power plants, oil refineries, oil pipelines and in the gas sector.
The Russian military is giving the utmost importance to Yemen, which occupies an important strategic location in the Arabian Peninsula. This allows them to control one of the most vital lanes linking Europe to Asia through the Suez Canal. The Russian naval base in the Yemeni island of Socotra, allows it to control a section of the Indian Ocean, including the movement of oil tankers coming from the Gulf.
Military officials in Moscow say that it was desirable to expedite the contracts with Yemen, noting that there are other countries trying to uphold the Yemeni weapons market.
However, the spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry said in an interview that Russia had written off the bulk of Yemen’s debt by $6.6 billion after the global crisis, and did not get anything in return.
In 2009 the Russian company «KAMAZ» signed a contract to supply 400 trucks to Yemen in the framework of developing economic relations between the two countries, as stated by the director-general of the company Sergei Koguqin.
The Yemeni president said they will buy more aircrafts if Russians help them to discover more oil, gas and minerals.

Russian investment in Yemeni gas
The Russian oil company «Gazprom» is studying the possibility of a joint purchase with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the shares of the American company Hunt Oil in the natural gas liquefaction plant in Yemen.
From another angle, the company «Zarobj Fod Story», intends to participate in the establishment of a series of dams in the Yemeni province of Abyan. The value of the project is $150 million. President Saleh announced during a meeting with Putin that his country welcomes Russian investments in the energy, oil and gas sectors.

More weapons come with more protest
A draft report prepared by the Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights revealed that 63 people were killed by the government and 373 wounded during the past three years, including 49 killed and 271 injured in 2009. The number of people taken to prison during the last year is 2273, an increase of 1279 from 2008.
The democratic process and protection of human rights dropped by more than 50%. 49.24% of protests in Yemen were organized to demand civil and political rights, 25.18% to claim economic rights, and 14% of the total protests on the background of the southern case.
The report pointed out the number of protests on the case of the south last year amounted to 308 while the rallies in 2008 according to the observatory were 535.
The observatory recorded 3582 violation cases of human rights during 2009 with an increase of 1179 compared with 2008.