News - Yemen: Yemen’s Ministry of Oil, Minerals, and the Geological Survey and Mineral Resources Authority has condemned the blatant attacks and violations committed by aggressor countries and the Saudi-backed government in the occupied Yemeni islands and provinces.

These violations include the looting of Yemen’s mineral resources, prompting calls for the Yemeni Armed Forces to take action to stop the plundering of the country’s resources in the occupied regions.

In a statement, the Ministry expressed its strong disapproval and rejection of all forms of violations by the aggression coalition and the Saudi-backed government. It highlighted ongoing organized looting of mineral resources through suspicious deals, including the recent export of a shipment of black sand ores.

The statement underscored the repeated and ongoing violations committed by the forces of aggression, which blatantly contravene international laws and norms. It called on the Yemeni Armed Forces to fulfill their duty in halting the exploitation of Yemen’s resources by these aggressor forces and their mercenaries.

The Ministry’s statement also held all companies collaborating with the forces of aggression and their mercenaries fully responsible for these violations and the tampering with the Yemeni people’s resources. It emphasized that the Ministry and the Geological Survey Authority reserve the right, which does not expire over time, to hold accountable anyone involved in tampering with Yemen’s resources.

The Presidency of the Saudi-backed government approved on March 24, 2023, the licensing of a refinery for oil derivatives, storage tanks, and a free industrial zone in the Dhabba area of Hadhramaut Governorate. The relevant ministries were instructed to coordinate with local authorities and take the necessary measures for implementation.

Reports in November 2023 revealed significant violations in the agreement to establish the Dhabba refinery in Hadhramaut. Economic sources highlighted critical flaws, such as the absence of specifications for capital, economic feasibility studies, technical assessments, and engineering and marine surveys. Despite this, the company is reportedly demanding compensation of $233 million to cover capital costs, feasibility studies, and facilities it received from the Korean Export-Import Bank.

On November 20, 2023, the Yemen Eco website published a report, supported by official documents, exposing a corruption scandal involving the Saudi-backed government and the UAE-backed Transitional Council. The scandal involved granting an Emirati company sovereign investment privileges, including constructing an oil refinery in Hadhramaut. The company was also given land spanning 3.861 million square meters free of charge, which it received on June 1, 2023.

The documents indicated that the land transfer was directed by a Cabinet resolution on May 21, 2023. The investor, Maliha Investment and Project Development Company, was allocated the land to establish a refinery with an initial daily production capacity of 25,000 barrels. The project also includes sufficient storage tanks, an industrial zone to connect ships via a maritime line, and facilities for associated production and service activities, as well as a free industrial zone in the same area.