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Wadhah Al-Awlaqi

Wadhah Al-Awlaqi has served as the Chief Economist at the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies since 2019. He has over a decade of experience in economic research, analysis, and policy development focused on Yemen. He held several key positions at the Central Bank of Yemen, overseeing strategic planning, financial reporting, budget management, and accounting operations. He holds an MBA in Finance from the prestigious KAIST Business School in South Korea.

Wadhah's latest contributions

Enhancing the Role of Microfinance Banks for Sustainable Impact in Yemen

September 23, 2024
Yemen's microfinance sector is undergoing a radical transformation. Despite initial success in empowering small businesses, the ongoing conflict has exposed deep vulnerabilities. Competition between the fractured central banks has driven a surge in microfinance bank (MFB) licenses. While this promises to expand financial inclusion, it raises … Read more

Saudis Give In to Houthi Pressure, Force CBY-Aden to Back Down

July 23, 2024
Threatened with new attacks, Saudi Arabia has forced the Yemeni government to abandon efforts to cut off the Houthi group () from the international banking system. Financial sanctions enacted by the government-aligned Central Bank of Yemen in Aden (CBY-Aden) were perhaps the government’s last card in its efforts to negotiate economic relief or … Read more

The Yemen Review Quarterly: April-June 2024

July 15, 2024
Houthi intelligence arrested dozens of local and international aid workers and UN and non-government organization (NGO) staff in early June, alleging they were part of a US-Israeli conspiracy to undermine Yemeni society. The detainees were paraded on television and forced to give scripted confessions. The Houthis seem to have targeted monitoring … Read more
The Yemen Review Quarterly: April-June 2024

The Economy

Yemen's already fractured financial system faces a dangerous escalation as its rival central banks engage in a high-stakes power struggle, threatening a full-blown currency war. On March 31, the Houthi-controlled Central Bank in Sana'a (CBY-Sana'a) made a controversial decision to introduce a new coin to replace deteriorating 100 rial banknotes. … Read more
The Yemen Review Quarterly: January-March 2024

The Economy

The re-designation of the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group (SDGT) by the Biden administration, which took effect on February 16, has sparked a complex debate. The move follows a series of Houthi missile attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait. The designation allows the US Treasury to impose … Read more