Saudi Delegation Highlights Yemen Support at World Bank Roundtable

A Saudi delegation from the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY), led by Eng. Hassan Al-Attas, participated in a World Bank roundtable titled “Enabling Jobs in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Environments” in Washington. The event took place alongside the annual IMF and World Bank meetings and brought together ministers, international officials, and development leaders from multiple countries.

Eng. Al-Attas expressed gratitude to the World Bank for organizing the roundtable, which allowed leaders and policymakers to discuss global strategies for stimulating private investment and job creation in fragile economies like Yemen.

He highlighted Saudi Arabia’s role in supporting Yemen, noting that the Kingdom has provided more than $26 billion in development, economic, and humanitarian aid over the past decades. Since 2018, Saudi Arabia has made direct deposits and grants to Yemen’s Central Bank and Ministry of Finance, including a $2 billion deposit to cover basic food imports. Between 2012 and 2025, additional support exceeded $12 billion, helping stabilize markets, improve liquidity, and enable private-sector activity.

Al-Attas shared SDRPY’s development approach, which focuses on three main areas: supporting government institutions, investing in infrastructure and human capital, and stimulating the private sector. This framework has strengthened Yemen’s institutions, protected foreign reserves, and helped ministries implement better economic and financial policies.

The SDRPY has implemented more than 265 projects in 16 Yemeni governorates, covering eight key sectors, with a total cost of $1.145 billion, all supervised directly by five program offices.

During the visit, the delegation held bilateral meetings with Yemeni officials, the World Bank Group, and representatives from Estonia. These meetings aimed to enhance international cooperation, promote sustainable development, and support joint initiatives for Yemen’s economic recovery.

Eng. Al-Attas emphasized that Saudi Arabia remains committed to continuing development support and fostering stability in Yemen, highlighting the importance of partnerships with international organizations to strengthen infrastructure, create jobs, and build a sustainable future for the country.

The roundtable and related meetings underline Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to support Yemen while encouraging global collaboration in fragile and conflict-affected regions.