http://www.english.hadhramaut.info Transport [The Source: www.mpic-yemen.org - ] Transport Yemen enjoys a broad air, land and sea network linking up its regions, neighboring countries and the world.  The last ten years have witnessed an improvement of transport infrastructure of ports, airports and roads.  Such development is clearly reflected in the volume of public expenditures on the sector.  Investment expenditures on transport reached 24.7 billion riyals during 1990-1999.  Around 8.8 billion went towards the maintenance and overlay of airports and ports.  Around 15.8 billion was spent on equipment and hardware including airplanes and boats. Sea Ports and Transport Yemen enjoys a long coastal strip extending from the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea with a number of scattered islands.  Yemen has six main ports along this strip (Aden, Hodieda, Mukala, Mokha, Al Saleef and Nashtoon).  The ports are equipped for servicing cargo, vessels and container handling.  In 1999, the first phase of the Aden Container Terminal was implemented at a cost of  $187 million.  The Aden Container Terminal has been in operation.  The Terminal maintains two quays of 16 meters in depth and 680 meters in length with four cranes capable of handling 50 tons each.  The Port Singapore Authority (PSA) is managing and operating the Aden Container Terminal.  Container handling has grown and around 300,000 containers are expected to be handled in 2000.  The project is vital in regaining Aden’s trading status as a hub and transshipment port. A new port in Al Saleef was officially opened in May of 1997.  Facilities include a quay of 350 meters in length and 14 meters in depth capable of receiving large vessels of 50,000 tons.  The new port is meant to reduce traffic on the port of Hodieda and to specialize on loading and unloading salt, wheat, cement and asphalt cargo, etc.  The government is also working on the establishment of a port on the Island of Soctra to facilitate the transfer of food supplies to islanders.  The Government plans also include the establishment of two other ports in Beroom in Hadhramout and Khalfoot in Al Mahara once feasibility studies are completed.   The two projects will be given to potential investors on BOT basis. Other ports have seen further developments in the form of dredging activities, introduction of new facilities like quays, workshops, warehouses, handling equipment and guidance and tacking boats. Such development brought about an increase in the number of calling vessels and cargo handling.  Calling vessels numbered 3,180 in 1999 with a cargo handling of 5.5 million tons and container handling of 95,100.  Three government owned shipping companies work in the transport sector including the Yemeni Sea Lines Co.(for national sea transport) , the National Shipping Co. (for shipping and cargo handling) and the National Dock Yards Co. ( dealing with ship maintenance and services). The government has maintained its effort to promote private sector activities in the transport sector and has initiated privatization promotion in the field of shipping and maintenance services.  Consequently, the number of private companies working in shipping, cargo handling and ship servicing and supplies has reached 40.  Two main shipping chambers in Hodieda and Aden.  The two chambers coordinate their activities ensuring the well-being of their members and propose recommendations on sustaining smooth work and higher work performance efficiency at the ports.  Efforts have continued to attract foreign investors to co-manage sea transport and maintenance.  The government has also signed a number of cooperation protocols on the creation of sea transport joint companies Airports and Air Transport The number of airports in operation in Yemen is 13, five of which are international (Sana’a, Aden, Taiz,  Al Rayan in Mukala and Hodieda) and 8 local (Sayun, Attaq, Al Ghaidha, Mareb, Al Buqa’a, Al Biedha, Sa’ada and Soctra).  These airports provide adequate levels of efficiency and safety.  The state has allocated resources to modernize airports and provide navigation equipment ensuring air transport safety including ongoing rehabilitation works on the Aden International Airport.  The final phase of the construction of Soctra International Airport enabling the linkup of the Island with the motherland the rest of the world is under implementation.  In addition to these two strategic projects, the government is asphalting the runway of Sayun Airport, constructing the Attaq Airport building, re-paving Taiz Airport, walling the Airports of Hodieda and Al Rayan and paving the Airport road in Al Ghaidha.  Maintenance of Sana’a International Airport continues with the expansion of the runway.  A government plan for the airport includes a study on the construction of a new passenger departure building.  The government has also opened up for private investment in airport services (catering, supplies, cleaning, restaurants and duty free markets, etc.) at Sana’a Airport and other airports around the country. Airport traffic has witnessed an increase in the last ten years.  The number of local and international passengers reached 1.1 million in 1999 compared to 956,000 in 1991.  Local travelers numbered 251,000.  Cargo handling increased to 12.1 thousand tons.  International air traffic is represented by a number of Arab and foreign airline companies.  Twenty-three international airline companies fly regularly over Yemen’s air space.  Yemen has signed bilateral air transport agreements with 41 countries. The former two national airline carriers in Yemen (Yemenia and Al Yemda) merged in 1996.  In 1997, the national fleet saw the introduction of two new Airbus planes, a third one in 1999 and a fourth in 2000.  The move is part of plans to substitute the old fleet with modern airplanes.  The National Airline Carrier (Yemen Airlines) has expanded its international destinations with new routes in 2000 covering 25 destinations in Asia, Europe and Africa.  Local flights have expanded to include 8 cities.  The share of the Yemeni Airlines in international air transport to and from Yemen registered 70% of the total passengers and 78.6% of cargo. Roads and Land Transport Land passenger and cargo traffic has seen an increase leading to ambitious expansion of the nation’s road network.  The public and private sectors are active in land transport services.  Both sectors provide regular bus services nationwide.  The Public Corp for Land Transport has a fleet of 203 buses and 151 trucks transporting 4.4 million passengers and 164,000 tons of cargo in 1998.  The Corp is introducing 80 buses to boost its land transport fleet. The private sector has also developed its land transport activity.  The private sector runs around 423,000 land transport cargo vehicles and trucks compared to 205,000 in 1990.  The number of taxis reached 99,000 compared to 28,000 in 1990.  Private sector run vehicles have transported about 143.5 million in 1998 compared to 40 million in 1990.  Total cargo registered 100.6 million tons in 1998 compared to 44.8 million tons in 1990. The government has regulated the introduction of private sector activity in the land transport sector through the adoption of appropriate legislation allowing the competitive involvement in the sector and setting out transport fares in accordance with market mechanisms.  Yemen has joined the Arab Transit and Triptick agreement and signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia on the movement of land passengers and cargo.  Yemen signed similar agreements with Jordan and Syria and plans to sign further agreements with other countries. Construction and Housing The road network is a national wealth that has cost the state tens of billions of riyals.  The road network is the corner stone for development and has an impact on society in all walks of economic and social life.  The government has built a road network of 2,617 kms during the last four years at a cost of 22.8 billion riyals in addition to the overlay of thousands of kilometers of roads nationwide.  The government has also initiated the construction of bridges to reduce traffic jam in major cities especially in Sana’a.  Major projects can be summarized in the following: 1.      Border Road Projects Roads linking the borders with neighboring countries are considered important in strengthening fraternal links and exchange of trade and tourists.  The government has sought to realize two border road projects with neighboring Saudi Arabia and Oman;     *      Al Ghaidha-Shahn Road: The road spans 299 kms and links Yemen and Oman.  Its socio-economic and political feasibility emanates from the fact that the road will serve densely populated and agriculture areas, reduce their hardship and facilitate bilateral trade.  The road links Yemen with Oman through to the rest of Arabian Gulf countries;     *      Sa’ada-Kitaf Road: The road spans 155 kms and will link Yemen with Saudi Arabia.  86 kms of the road have been completed. 2.      Main Roads Main roads link up major cities of Yemen.  Major roads include:    1.      Safer-Hadhramout Road.  This is a strategic project which would link Sana’a with Hadhramout through Mareb.  The road spans 309 kms and is implemented by the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Urban Planning through the Highway Authority.  This road has been dubbed the Unity Road and should facilitate the transport of people and cargo cost effectively;    2.      Mareb-Harib-Baihan Road.  The 120-km road will link up the eastern regions with the northern regions and should facilitate trade and development;    3.      Shibam-Al Mahwit Road.  The 73-km road links up Sana’a and Al Mahwit passing through densely populated areas and beautiful landscape.  The road will eventually link up touristic regions through Al Ganawass well leading to the main highway of Hodieda-Haradh.    4.      Huth-Haradh Road.  The 137-km road will link up the western coastal regions with the northern regions and should facilitate inter-regional trade;    5.      Hajja-Al Khushm Road.  This is another important road linking up the northern regions with the western coastal regions through the main Hodieda-Haradh highway.  The 62-km road cuts short the distance between Amran, Hajja and Sana’a to Hodieda and then to Haradh.  The road serves densely populated areas and should improve the economic conditions of these population settlements;    6.      Al Biedha-Lawdar Road.  This project has worked on deepening national unity among the people of the region being served by this road.  The road spans 51 kms and facilitates transport and trade between Abyan, Al Beidha and through them to the rest of the country;    7.      Tarim-Thamud-Al Ghaidha Road.  This road links up the regions of Hadhramout and Al Mahara;    8.      Sa’ada-Haradh Road.  This road links up the regions of Sa’ada, Hajja and Hodieda. 3.      Road Maintenance and Overlay Regular maintenance is needed to keep the nation’s road network in good shape.  Road maintenance reduce traffic accidents and human and financial loss.  Therefore, the government has given attention to road maintenance and overlay through the implementation of several relevant projects.  Most importantly, the overlay of Mukala-Sayun-Tarim road was done covering 332 kms in addition to the overlay of similar roads (265 kms of the Mukala-Sayhut and 226 kms of the Sana’a-Hodieda road, etc.). 4.      Construction Several strategic construction projects have been implemented using the local work force and their expertise.  Soctra airport heads the list of projects.  The project began in October of 1998 and was designed according to international standards.  The runway spans 3.3 kms capable of receiving large airplanes.  The Ministry of Construction, Housing and Urban Planning plans to erect bridges to reduce traffic in some major cities during rush hour including the Yemeni-Chinese Friendship Bridge and Faj Ottan Bridge in Sana’a. 5.      Housing The government gives special attention to low income housing.  Urban development projects have been implemented including the Urban Development Project III in Taiz and a similar one in Sawad Sa’awan in Sana’a (I and II) which benefited 10,000 people.  The number of beneficiaries is expected to increase to 20,000 upon the completion of Phase III of the project.  Other low income housing projects are implemented including the July 7 Housing Project in Hodieda (4,500 housing plot), the Hezar Housing Project in Thamud Hadhramout and Mashqaran Housing Project in Al Mahara.  Each project comprises 50 housing units.