Saudi aid for Yemen’s fisheries sector improves livelihoods in Al-Mahra, ministers say

Yemen’s Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Fisheries Salem Abdullah Al-Socotri and Minister of Water and Environment Tawfiq Al-Sharjabi on Monday reviewed projects implemented by Saudi Arabia through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center in the fisheries sector in Haswain district, Al-Mahra province. The initiatives are part of a sustainable agriculture and fisheries empowerment project aimed at strengthening resilience in Yemen.

The ministers were briefed on the project’s components, which include distributing fishing boats equipped with engines to fishermen affected by cyclones and floods in Haswain. The goal is to help them resume their work and restore their sources of income.

Both ministers expressed their gratitude to King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the overall assistance provided by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid Center to Yemen, and especially to Al-Mahra province. They affirmed that the center’s support for the fisheries sector will, God willing, improve the livelihoods of fishermen in the province, enable them to regain their economic activity, and help meet their living needs after losing their boats due to recent weather events.

The project will distribute 90 fishing boats with engines and 150 safety kits, benefiting 150 fishermen in the provinces of Hadramout, Al-Mahra, and Socotra. The initiative aims to improve fishermen’s livelihoods, create new income opportunities, and enable safer, more productive fishing trips.