RIYADH — The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) officially opened its office in Saadah governorate, north of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, so as to determine the governorate’s needs for urgent development projects. The Program appointed Said Al-Zahrani as director of the office, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said Tuesday.

In a statement, the Supervisor General of the SDRPY, Ambassador Muhammad Bin Said Aal Jaber, said: “The Program opening its office in Saadah governorate comes within its development plan to include all Yemeni governorates.”

He expressed his hope that these projects will have a positive impact on every inch of Yemen, including Saadah, so as to transform it from destruction to development and reconstruction. This is due to the Program’s belief in the importance of its role in serving all Yemenis without any discrimination, Aal Jaber asserted.

Despite the short period since its inception, not exceeding nine months, the Program has carried out over 68 development projects in seven vital sectors, including health, education, agriculture and fish resources, water, electricity, transport, and residential and government buildings, Aal Jaber said.

He added that the program is not restricted to supporting the brethren in Yemen through these sectors only, but goes beyond that to supporting the Yemeni government with monthly grants of oil derivatives worth $60m per month.

This contributed greatly to mitigating the burden on the Yemeni government’s budget.

Apart from this, the monthly grant contributed to continuing work in the power generating plants and solving the recurrent power outages in the majority of Yemeni governorates, he said.

He added that the Program’s office has actually started paying field visits covering Wadi Al-Farea and Kitaf directorates in Saadah governorate, with the objective of determining the needs of the directorates and immediately beginning providing urgent aid to the Yemeni brethren.

Meanwhile, the director of the Program’s office in Saadah governorate Said Al-Zahrani drew attention to the tour he carried out during the past two days.

He said it covered the roads, culverts, bridges, farms, water wells, schools, health centers and electricity plants in Wadi Aal Bu Jubarah and Baqim directorate that were subjected to acts of sabotage and destruction. – SG/SPA