The beginning of the year brought good news for Yemeni women: after six years of total absence from government, three women were appointed to the new cabinet formed in early February, followed by the historic naming of Yemen’s first female ambassador to the United States in April. Yemen’s new administration emerged from a year of profound turbulence, shaped not only…

Cybersecurity has become an inseparable part of national security and stability, as the digital realm now encompasses communications, administration, services, and vital data. With the growing reliance on digital services, the potential risks from technical vulnerabilities and the absence of institutional protection are rising. In Yemen, cybersecurity is constrained by limited technical infrastructure and weak institutional frameworks governing data access.…

The governorate of Shabwa possesses a unique geography, ranging from fertile plains to long coastlines, mountain highlands, and vast deserts. It also holds rich natural resources, such as oil and gas. This natural wealth made it the site of the largest investment project in Yemen: the Balhaf liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal. However, Balhaf and other hydrocarbon projects in the…

Yemen's antiquities have endured centuries of looting, smuggling, and trafficking, rooted in a consistent pattern of colonial exploitation that dates back to the 19th century. In his travel memoir Vision of Yemen, Yemeni-Jewish scholar Hayyim Habshush captured Western orientalists’ fascination with Yemeni cultural and archeological wealth, drawing on his experience accompanying French orientalist Joseph Halévy on an archaeological expedition to…

Over the past two years, Yemen's digital landscape has transformed into a battleground for legitimacy, control, and the shaping of public opinion. As the Houthi group (Ansar Allah) has intensified its campaign of arrests targeting local and international humanitarian workers, including United Nations (UN) and international non-governmental organization (INGO) staff, the social media platform X has emerged as a central…

As the war on Iran continues to wreak havoc in the region, Yemen has been conspicuously absent from the escalating conflict. All eyes are on the Houthis, who have so far been reluctant to join the war. Should the Houthis mobilize, or should Israel and the US attack Yemen unprovoked, the threat to Sana’a, Yemen’s crown jewel and one of…

— Testament of a local resident who witnessed the US raid on Yakla, Al-Bayda, in 2017. With its central location bordering eight other governorates, Al Bayda is considered one of Yemen's most important regions. It was on the frontline between North and South Yemen prior to unification in 1990. Its predominantly Shafi’i (Sunni) population had a history of conflict with…

“Respecting God's tenets, living in harmony, simplicity, and peace, and doing as our parents and grandparents did.” Socotra, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, has one of the most unique and isolated ecosystems in the world. Located off the coast of Yemen near the Horn of Africa, the Socotra archipelago sits at the crossroads of the Arabian Sea and the…

Historically relegated to the bottom of Yemen’s social hierarchy, the muhammasheen (marginalized ones) are a minority group that has endured decades of systematic marginalization and exclusion. The surge of activity by international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) following Yemen’s 1990 unification brought greater attention to their struggle, leading to meaningful advocacy efforts from both local and international organizations and creating momentum for…