Mr. Abdullah Hussein Al-Dafyee, Minister of Constructions, Housing and Urban Planning, Mr. Nasser Assaloum, Saudi Minister of Transportation, Judge Ahmad Abdullah Al-Hajry, Governor of Taiz and Mr. Ali Mohammed Saeed Anam, Board of Directors’ Chairman of the Hayel Saeed Anam Group of Companies inaugurated the 22 Kilometer Taiz-Saber road last Saturday. The project which was kicked off on October 27 1997 cost about USD 12,222,398.
The newly inaugurated road will facilitate transportation of people and agricultural products between Saber and Taiz.
During the inauguration ceremony governor of Taiz welcomed the guests and hailed the accomplished project as a sign of the strong relations between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, main supporter of the project. Saudi Minister of Transportation highlighted the project as one of the successful ones of Sultan Ben Abdulaziz Charitable Organization.
Dr. Ahmad Hayel Saeed delivered a speech on behalf of the supervisory committee in which he praised the efforts made to execute the project. He added that the road would remain a witness to the good and strong relations between the Yemeni and Saudi people.
The inauguration was attended by Mr. Nasser Al-Doeig Charge d’ Affairs at the Saudi Embassy in Sana’a , Mr. Rashad Abu Al-Khair, representative of the Sultan Charitable Organization and Sheikh Ahmad Hayel Saeed, Vice Chairman of Board of Directors at the Hayel Group of Companies.

The Fifth Businessmen Conference shoots off today . Under the patronage of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the FBC was organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Aden, along with the GTZ and the Planning Ministry.
The 2-day Conference aims at developing investment awareness in Yemen. It is also to develop utilizing human as well as natural resources in the country. All of this in a condensed effort to prepare the country to face the challenges of the future and world competition. It is an invitation to the emigrants’ capitals to return to Yemen as it is also to encourage Yemeni businessmen to invest in Yemen rather than abroad.
More than 250 participants from different business sectors as well as more than 50 Yemeni emigrant Investors in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, India, Kenya and Tanzania are expected to take part in the conference.
The Conference is going to discuss different issues of importance to investors as well the government of Yemen, especially the Aden Free Zone Project. Solutions will be suggested to many obstacles facing Yemen’s economical development.
The Yemen Times will be distributing a business supplement on the occasion of the conference.

Organized by the Urban Cultural Heritage Strategy and Management Program, a 3-day seminar on urban cultural heritage management (UCHM) started in Sana'a yesterday at the Culture and Tourism Ministry. The seminar marks the kick off of the 5-year program financed by the Dutch Government at $ 1.7 million that will assist the Yemeni government in setting up policies for the revitalization of all historic cities in Yemen.
In his inaugural speech, Dr. Abdulmalik Mansour, Culture and Tourism Minister stressed the importance of protecting the cultural heritage in which our identity is embodied. He said that the Yemeni government singled out $30 million for protecting old cities since 1984, urging all donor countries in collaboration with the Yemeni government to conduct a map for the historic sites in Yemen. He also said that technology should be included in the research works about cultural heritage. Mr. Dick A.J ter Steege, Team Leader said that the seminar wants to interact with the stockholders of the historic cities to make an update on the issues and problems related to the development of historic cities.
The seminar will limit itself to the issues and problems related to the built environment, which consists of the buildings, monuments and townscape of historic cities and participants will determine what the most pressing problems of the historic cities in Yemen are.
The program in general aims at developing a national strategy and a general institutional framework to manage Yemen’s urban cultural heritage protection and conservation.

Following opening fire at the office of Dr. Hassan Mujali 4/1/2001, the Lawyers Syndicate (LS) issued a report condemning this aggressive act and requested the Justice Minister, Attorney General, Interior Ministry to arrest those responsible for the attack and bring them to justice.
Lawyer Hassan Mujali, Sana’a University law doctor, was subject to an attempted murder at eleven thirty Thursday evening January 4. Two armed men opened fire on the main gate of his office, located in the old al-Asbahi city, in an attempt to kill him when employees working in the office went out from the small gate. After that they flew away using a police Toyota car, beige color, whose number was noted down and given to the security.
Dr. Hassan had left the office some time before that day. On the following day, an anonymous person called at the office and told the employees to tell Dr. Hassan that this was “just the beginning.”
Eyewitnesses said attackers had already kept watching Dr. Mujali’s office and asked about the people working in. Even after the incident a four-men group came from time to time and kept watching the office.
The office issued reports requesting authorities concerned to hold the attackers responsible to ensure the state of law and order and stop these aggressive acts, especially as the attackers were driving a police car. The office appealed to all human rights organizations and those working in the field of law to condemn this act. This can be taken as a prelude to their barbaric acts and further suppression of lawyers and other academics, the report says.

Under the auspices of Sheikh Abdullah Ben Hussein Al-Ahmar, the International Council of Muslim Women Scholars in the Muslim Women Union organizes a forum for Yemeni women researchers during January 16-17 at the Yemeni Cultural Center in Sana’a, under the theme “Towards an Intellectual attitude of Muslim Women.” The Forum includes more than 50 researchers from different areas in Yemen. It will also host a number of personalities concerned with women issues.
Discussions are expected to center on the challenges facing Muslim women, establishing a scientific council for Muslim scholars in Yemen, introducing the scientific qualifications and abilities of Yemeni women, joining scientific research efforts, consolidating friendships and relations among Yemeni researchers, etc.
The International Council of Muslim Women Scholars is a non-governmental organization that was declared in April 1999. Recently, it has been granted a go to open an office in Yemen for which the forum is held.

Mr. Mahmood A. Aysub, Pakistani national, is the WB new director of regional office located in Cairo of Yemen, Egypt and Djibouti. He came to Yemen on a short visit to meet with the authorities and get first hand knowledge of Yemen.
During the visit Mr. Mahmood met with government officials including PM, Planning and Finance Ministers, several others ministers, key donors, private sector representatives and NGOs.
A press conference was organized on Wednesday in which Mr. Mahmood highlighted relations between WB and Yemen, saying “We are actively involved in Yemen with our portfolio being of the largest in the middle East. We currently have about 22 ongoing projects, with commitments of about $670 million.”
He indicated that “For the future we fully share the government’s objective of focussing on poverty alleviation based on more rapid growth, and ensuring that the fruits of this rapid growth are shared by all Yemenis. We expect an average of $ 200 million annually during the next 2-3 years.”
Regarding the areas of focus, he said “Our main areas of focus will be water management, education, health, agricultural services, public works and capacity building, and areas related to the reform of the macroeconomic system, including improving the environment for the private sector development, civil service reform, etc.
In an answer to YT question about the real assessment of the WB of the economic reforms program the government of Yemen has embarked upon since 1995, he said “The first phase of these reforms is always relatively easy as you will see the impact very quickly. That is, the stabilization reforms that were taken to reduce the deficit, inflation rate. As for these there is no question that the situation now is better than five years ago.”
For the other measures and challenges such as water scarcity and management, high population growth rate, development of the private sector, education, diversifying of the economy beyond depending on oil, all take long time as there has to be an institutional capacity. They are also to be discussed within the government, Parliament, etc. However, I have heard from the government officials that they are really committed to implement these reforms. By their very nature they will take a long period before you see the impact. However, I personally feel comfortable that the government is really making a genuine effort to move ahead.”

Three people were killed in Al-Jadaan district on the Sana’a-Mareb road when a group of people from Al-Jadaan and Al-Ashraf tribes opened fire at one another.
Following the incident, the two tribes met together to investigate the incident.

The Civil Secretary Network for Development (CSND) held its first meeting for the year 2001 On January 14. The meeting was organized by the first coordination committee of the Network. The meeting was attended by the members of the network, the staff of Post Beijing Follow up Operations project, a group of journalists, and some guests such as Dr. Adel Al-Sharjabi from Sana’a University.
The meeting focused on discussing the network plan to strengthen the network through systematic membership expansion and developing an organized mechanism for coordination and networking among them.

Under the patronage of Judge. Ahmad Abdullah al-Hajri, Taiz governor, al-Saeed Establishment for Sciences and Culture, Taiz, hosted last Thursday 11.1.2001 the First Regional Forum for “Rasa’el al-Noor”, a collection of nine books. Imam Sa’eed al-Noori is considered to be one of the most outstanding scholars of the 20th century. In his books he dealt with enormous campaigns set forth by many European philosophers. Dedicating his life for science and knowledge, he stood against communism through his letters that he wrote to refute all the hearsay launched against the Islamic authority in Turkey.
The forum was considered to be the first of its kind in the Arab peninsula. Guests from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Japan from different countries attended this forum. Mr. Ahmad Hayel Saeed has delivered a welcoming speech and highlighting the establishment’s role in adopting important cultural issues.

In a unique attempt, Yemeni film director Ben Hirsi presents his film “The English Sheikh & the Yemeni Gentleman.” This lyrical documentary follows London-born Badr Ben Hirsi as he discovers his ancestral home under the guiding hand of the eccentric Tim Mackintosh Smith, who has been living in the ancient Yemeni city of Sana’a for 16 years.
This moving yet amusing documentary is exquisitely filmed by award-winning cinematographer Koutaiba Al-Janabi.
The film will be on display at the British Council, Al- Jazair street on the 20th of January. For more information contact the BLC - 215000.