The Ministry of Industry and Commerce-supported exhibition was the first of its kind in Yemen‭.‬

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce held an exhibition of Yemeni inventions, as well as granting the first patent.

The exhibition aimed to develop the inventions and encourage inventors to invest in new ideas and valuable businesses that help foster the revival of social and civil development. It is the first of its kind in Yemen. According to the exhibition, no patent can be sold or distributed without the consent of the owner of the invention.  

The exhibition involved a lot of worthwhile research as well as a range of various scientific advancements from the inventors, who hailed from all over the country.

The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Saeed Al-Deen Bin Talib, said the exhibition was an economic, civilized and qualitative advance for Yemen due to the scientific research, inventions and innovations it included.

Talib added that the exhibition aimed to allow the inventors to display their ideas and to speak out about their innovations; its aim was also to facilitate the exchange of experience and the development of research.

“This exhibition helped stimulate the companies and corporations to invest in the sector of inventions based on contracts with the inventors themselves and the foundations adopting them,” he said.

Many male and female inventors took part in the exhibition.

Engineer Mohammed Al-Afeefi, head of the maintenance unit at Yemen TV, was among the participants in the exhibition. His invention was a device to alleviate smoking for those who watch television.

He explained his reasons for creating this particular device, saying,  “I disapprove of smoking, especially when people watch television. I thought a lot about this business and conducted various experiments in 2000. I was empowered to invent electronic circuits which are characterized by their capability to exclusively work in a smoke-free atmosphere.”

He then developed the workings of the electronic circuit and assembled it to ensure that the circuit breaks and the signal for the television cuts if smoke is detected. An automated voice is heard asking the smoker to stop.

“The television will not broadcast if there is smoke present. The device has many advantages that will be declared when an agreement is reached with the industrial company.”

Al-Afeefi said he also invented another remote-operated device that diagnoses neurological and psychological issues. The device measures electromagnetic currents that occur within the body, which can be used to discover neurological disorders.

The device is considered by some to be an unprecedented scientific breakthrough in the field of neurological and psychological health.

For their part, students of Hadramout University invented a new device called GSM/GBS, which tracks the location, speed and height of a car from sea level. The remote-operated device can open and close the car doors, remotely run or turn off the car and even record or listen to the conversation inside it.

Students from Aisha School said they invented a luminous book that uses solar planks to light up the pages. A book can thus be charged and then read even when there is no electricity.

Talib said a second exhibition will be held, and will be included within the considerations for the national budget in the upcoming year. Moreover, July 11 is to annually be the day of the exhibition of inventions as a token of appreciation for the exhibition’s intellectual productivity, contribution to creativity and innovative improvement.