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Yemen vs. Saudi Arabia

Introduction

YemenSaudi Arabia
Background

The Kingdom of Yemen (colloquially known as North Yemen) became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1918 and in 1962 became the Yemen Arab Republic. The British, who had set up a protectorate area around the southern port of Aden in the 19th century, withdrew in 1967 from what became the People's Republic of Southern Yemen (colloquially known as South Yemen). Three years later, the southern government adopted a Marxist orientation and changed the country's name to the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. The massive exodus of hundreds of thousands of Yemenis from the south to the north contributed to two decades of hostility between the states. The two countries were formally unified as the Republic of Yemen in 1990. A southern secessionist movement and brief civil war in 1994 was quickly subdued. In 2000, Saudi Arabia and Yemen agreed to delineate their border.

Fighting in the northwest between the government and the Huthis, a Zaydi Shia Muslim minority, continued intermittently from 2004 to 2010, and then again from 2014-present. The southern secessionist movement was revitalized in 2007.

Public rallies in Sana'a against then President Ali Abdallah SALIH - inspired by similar demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt - slowly built momentum starting in late January 2011 fueled by complaints over high unemployment, poor economic conditions, and corruption. By the following month, some protests had resulted in violence, and the demonstrations had spread to other major cities. By March the opposition had hardened its demands and was unifying behind calls for SALIH's immediate ouster. In April 2011, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in an attempt to mediate the crisis in Yemen, proposed the GCC Initiative, an agreement in which the president would step down in exchange for immunity from prosecution. SALIH's refusal to sign an agreement led to further violence. The UN Security Council passed Resolution 2014 in October 2011 calling for an end to the violence and completing a power transfer deal. In November 2011, SALIH signed the GCC Initiative to step down and to transfer some of his powers to Vice President Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI. Following HADI's uncontested election victory in February 2012, SALIH formally transferred all presidential powers. In accordance with the GCC Initiative, Yemen launched a National Dialogue Conference (NDC) in March 2013 to discuss key constitutional, political, and social issues. HADI concluded the NDC in January 2014 and planned to begin implementing subsequent steps in the transition process, including constitutional drafting, a constitutional referendum, and national elections.

The Huthis, perceiving their grievances were not addressed in the NDC, joined forces with SALIH and expanded their influence in northwestern Yemen, which culminated in a major offensive against military units and rival tribes and enabled their forces to overrun the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014. In January 2015, the Huthis surrounded the presidential palace, HADI's residence, and key government facilities, prompting HADI and the cabinet to submit their resignations. HADI fled to Aden in February 2015 and rescinded his resignation. He subsequently escaped to Oman and then moved to Saudi Arabia and asked the GCC to intervene militarily in Yemen to protect the legitimate government from the Huthis. In March, Saudi Arabia assembled a coalition of Arab militaries and began airstrikes against the Huthis and Huthi-affiliated forces. Ground fighting between Huthi-aligned forces and anti-Huthi groups backed by the Saudi-led coalition continued through 2016. In 2016, the UN brokered a months-long cessation of hostilities that reduced airstrikes and fighting, and initiated peace talks in Kuwait. However, the talks ended without agreement. The Huthis and SALIH's political party announced a Supreme Political Council in August 2016 and a National Salvation Government, including a prime minister and several dozen cabinet members, in November 2016, to govern in Sanaa and further challenge the legitimacy of HADI's government. However, amid rising tensions between the Huthis and SALIH, sporadic clashes erupted in mid-2017, and escalated into open fighting that ended when Huthi forces killed SALIH in early December 2017. In 2018, anti-Huthi forces made the most battlefield progress in Yemen since early 2016, most notably in Al Hudaydah Governorate. In December 2018, the Huthis and Yemeni Government participated in the first UN-brokered peace talks since 2016, agreeing to a limited ceasefire in Al Hudaydah Governorate and the establishment of a UN Mission to monitor the agreement. In April 2019, Yemen's parliament convened in Say'un for the first time since the conflict broke out in 2014. In August 2019, violence erupted between HADI's government and the pro-secessionist Southern Transition Council (STC) in southern Yemen. In November 2019, HADI's government and the STC signed a power-sharing agreement to end the fighting between them.

Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to Islam's two holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. The king's official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The modern Saudi state was founded in 1932 by ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al SAUD (Ibn Saud) after a 30-year campaign to unify most of the Arabian Peninsula. One of his male descendants rules the country today, as required by the country's 1992 Basic Law. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after the liberation of Kuwait became a source of tension between the royal family and the public until all operational US troops left the country in 2003. Major terrorist attacks in May and November 2003 spurred a strong ongoing campaign against domestic terrorism and extremism. US troops returned to the Kingdom in October 2019 after attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure.

From 2005 to 2015, King ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud incrementally modernized the Kingdom. Driven by personal ideology and political pragmatism, he introduced a series of social and economic initiatives, including expanding employment and social opportunities for women, attracting foreign investment, increasing the role of the private sector in the economy, and discouraging businesses from hiring foreign workers. These reforms have accelerated under King SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz, who ascended to the throne in 2015, and has since lifted the Kingdom's ban on women driving and allowed cinemas to operate for the first time in decades. Saudi Arabia saw some protests during the 2011 Arab Spring but not the level of bloodshed seen in protests elsewhere in the region. Shia Muslims in the Eastern Province protested primarily against the detention of political prisoners, endemic discrimination, and Bahraini and Saudi Government actions in Bahrain. Riyadh took a cautious but firm approach by arresting some protesters but releasing most of them quickly and by using its state-sponsored clerics to counter political and Islamist activism.

The government held its first-ever elections in 2005 and 2011, when Saudis went to the polls to elect municipal councilors. In December 2015, women were allowed to vote and stand as candidates for the first time in municipal council elections, with 19 women winning seats. After King SALMAN ascended to the throne in 2015, he placed the first next-generation prince, MUHAMMAD BIN NAYIF bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud, in the line of succession as Crown Prince. He designated his son, MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud, as the Deputy Crown Prince. In March 2015, Saudi Arabia led a coalition of 10 countries in a military campaign to restore the legitimate government of Yemen, which had been ousted by Huthi forces allied with former president ALI ABDULLAH al-Salih. The war in Yemen has drawn international criticism for civilian casualties and its effect on the country's dire humanitarian situation. In December 2015, then Deputy Crown Prince MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN announced Saudi Arabia would lead a 34-nation Islamic Coalition to fight terrorism (it has since grown to 41 nations). In May 2017, Saudi Arabia inaugurated the Global Center for Combatting Extremist Ideology (also known as "Etidal") as part of its ongoing efforts to counter violent extremism. In June 2017, King SALMAN elevated MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN to Crown Prince.

The country remains a leading producer of oil and natural gas and holds about 16% of the world's proven oil reserves as of 2015. The government continues to pursue economic reform and diversification, particularly since Saudi Arabia's accession to the WTO in 2005, and promotes foreign investment in the Kingdom. In April 2016, the Saudi Government announced a broad set of socio-economic reforms, known as Vision 2030. Low global oil prices throughout 2015 and 2016 significantly lowered Saudi Arabia's governmental revenue. In response, the government cut subsidies on water, electricity, and gasoline; reduced government employee compensation packages; and announced limited new land taxes. In coordination with OPEC and some key non-OPEC countries, Saudi Arabia agreed cut oil output in early 2017 to regulate supply and help elevate global prices.

Geography

YemenSaudi Arabia
LocationMiddle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi ArabiaMiddle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen
Geographic coordinates15 00 N, 48 00 E25 00 N, 45 00 E
Map referencesMiddle EastMiddle East
Areatotal: 527,968 sq km

land: 527,968 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes Perim, Socotra, the former Yemen Arab Republic (YAR or North Yemen), and the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY or South Yemen)
total: 2,149,690 sq km

land: 2,149,690 sq km

water: 0 sq km
Area - comparativealmost four times the size of Alabama; slightly larger than twice the size of Wyomingslightly more than one-fifth the size of the US
Land boundariestotal: 1,601 km

border countries (2): Oman 294 km, Saudi Arabia 1307 km
total: 4,272 km

border countries (7): Iraq 811 km, Jordan 731 km, Kuwait 221 km, Oman 658 km, Qatar 87 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1307 km
Coastline1,906 km2,640 km
Maritime claimsterritorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 18 nm

continental shelf: not specified
Climatemostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in eastharsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes
Terrainnarrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the desert interior of the Arabian Peninsulamostly sandy desert
Elevation extremeshighest point: Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,666 m

lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m

mean elevation: 999 m
highest point: As Sarawat range, 3,000 m

lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m

mean elevation: 665 m
Natural resourcespetroleum, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper; fertile soil in westpetroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
Land useagricultural land: 44.5% (2018 est.)

arable land: 2.2% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 41.7% (2018 est.)

forest: 1% (2018 est.)

other: 54.5% (2018 est.)
agricultural land: 80.7% (2018 est.)

arable land: 1.5% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 79.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 0.5% (2018 est.)

other: 18.8% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land6,800 sq km (2012)16,200 sq km (2012)
Natural hazards

sandstorms and dust storms in summer

volcanism: limited volcanic activity; Jebel at Tair (Jabal al-Tair, Jebel Teir, Jabal al-Tayr, Jazirat at-Tair) (244 m), which forms an island in the Red Sea, erupted in 2007 after awakening from dormancy; other historically active volcanoes include Harra of Arhab, Harras of Dhamar, Harra es-Sawad, and Jebel Zubair, although many of these have not erupted in over a century

frequent sand and dust storms

volcanism: despite many volcanic formations, there has been little activity in the past few centuries; volcanoes include Harrat Rahat, Harrat Khaybar, Harrat Lunayyir, and Jabal Yar

Environment - current issueslimited natural freshwater resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertificationdesertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills; air pollution; waste management
Environment - international agreementsparty to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - notestrategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping lanesSaudi Arabia is the largest country in the world without a river; extensive coastlines on the Persian Gulf and Red Sea allow for considerable shipping (especially of crude oil) through the Persian Gulf and Suez Canal
Total renewable water resources2.1 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)2.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Population distributionthe vast majority of the population is found in the Asir Mountains (part of the larger Sarawat Mountain system), located in the far western region of the countryhistorically a population that was mostly nomadic or semi-nomadic, the Saudi population has become more settled since petroleum was discovered in the 1930s; most of the economic activities - and with it the country's population - is concentrated in a wide area across the middle of the peninsula, from Ad Dammam in the east, through Riyadh in the interior, to Mecca-Medina in the west near the Red Sea

Demographics

YemenSaudi Arabia
Population30,399,243 (July 2021 est.)34,783,757 (July 2021 est.)

note: immigrants make up 38.3% of the total population, according to UN data (2019)
Age structure0-14 years: 39.16% (male 5,711,709 /female 5,513,526)

15-24 years: 21.26% (male 3,089,817 /female 3,005,693)

25-54 years: 32.78% (male 4,805,059 /female 4,591,811)

55-64 years: 4% (male 523,769 /female 623,100)

65 years and over: 2.8% (male 366,891 /female 435,855) (2018 est.)
0-14 years: 24.84% (male 4,327,830/female 4,159,242)

15-24 years: 15.38% (male 2,741,371/female 2,515,188)

25-54 years: 50.2% (male 10,350,028/female 6,804,479)

55-64 years: 5.95% (male 1,254,921/female 778,467)

65 years and over: 3.63% (male 657,395/female 584,577) (2020 est.)
Median agetotal: 19.8 years (2018 est.)

male: 19.6 years

female: 19.9 years
total: 30.8 years

male: 33 years

female: 27.9 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate1.93% (2021 est.)1.62% (2021 est.)
Birth rate25.21 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)14.56 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate5.69 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)3.39 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate-0.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)5.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sex ratioat birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.84 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female

total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2018 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.09 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.52 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 1.61 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female

total population: 1.3 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 47.56 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 52.95 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 41.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
total: 12.58 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 13.86 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 11.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 67.18 years

male: 64.89 years

female: 69.59 years (2021 est.)
total population: 76.4 years

male: 74.81 years

female: 78.07 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate3.1 children born/woman (2021 est.)1.95 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate<.1% (2020 est.)<.1% (2020 est.)
Nationalitynoun: Yemeni(s)

adjective: Yemeni
noun: Saudi(s)

adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian
Ethnic groupspredominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asian, EuropeanArab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS11,000 (2020 est.)12,000 (2020 est.)
ReligionsMuslim 99.1% (official; virtually all are citizens, an estimated 65% are Sunni and 35% are Shia), other 0.9% (includes Jewish, Baha'i, Hindu, and Christian; many are refugees or temporary foreign residents) (2020 est.)Muslim (official; citizens are 85-90% Sunni and 10-15% Shia), other (includes Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh) (2012 est.)

note: despite having a large expatriate community of various faiths (more than 30% of the population), most forms of public religious expression inconsistent with the government-sanctioned interpretation of Sunni Islam are restricted; non-Muslims are not allowed to have Saudi citizenship and non-Muslim places of worship are not permitted (2013)
HIV/AIDS - deaths<500 (2020 est.)<200 (2020 est.)
LanguagesArabic (official); note - a distinct Socotri language is widely used on Socotra Island and Archipelago; Mahri is still fairly widely spoken in eastern Yemen

major-language sample(s):
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The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Arabic (official)

major-language sample(s):
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Literacydefinition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 70.1%

male: 85.1%

female: 55% (2015)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 95.3%

male: 97.1%

female: 92.7% (2017)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)total: 9 years

male: 11 years

female: 8 years (2011)
total: 17 years

male: 16 years

female: 16 years (2019)
Education expendituresNANA
Urbanizationurban population: 38.5% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 3.71% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
urban population: 84.5% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 1.69% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Drinking water sourceimproved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 87.6% of population

total: 92% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 12.4% of population

total: 8% of population (2017 est.)
improved: total: 100% of population

unimproved: total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility accessimproved: urban: 93.1% of population

rural: 48.5% of population

total: 64.6% of population

unimproved: urban: 6.9% of population

rural: 51.5% of population

total: 35.4% of population (2017 est.)
improved: total: 100% of population

unimproved: total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
Major cities - population3.075 million SANAA (capital), 1.012 million Aden (2021)7.388 million RIYADH (capital), 4.697 million Jeddah, 2.079 million Mecca, 1.518 million Medina, 1.279 million Ad Dammam, 1.279 million Hufuf-Mubarraz (2021)
Maternal mortality rate164 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)17 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Health expenditures5.6% (2015)6.4% (2018)
Physicians density0.53 physicians/1,000 population (2014)2.61 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
Hospital bed density0.7 beds/1,000 population (2017)2.2 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate17.1% (2016)35.4% (2016)
Contraceptive prevalence rate33.5% (2013)24.6% (2016)
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 71.7

youth dependency ratio: 66.7

elderly dependency ratio: 5

potential support ratio: 19.9 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 39.3

youth dependency ratio: 34.4

elderly dependency ratio: 4.9

potential support ratio: 20.5 (2020 est.)

Government

YemenSaudi Arabia
Country nameconventional long form: Republic of Yemen

conventional short form: Yemen

local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Yamaniyah

local short form: Al Yaman

former: Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]

etymology: name derivation remains unclear but may come from the Arab term "yumn" (happiness) and be related to the region's classical name "Arabia Felix" (Fertile or Happy Arabia); the Romans referred to the rest of the peninsula as "Arabia Deserta" (Deserted Arabia)
conventional long form: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

conventional short form: Saudi Arabia

local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah

local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah

etymology: named after the ruling dynasty of the country, the House of Saud; the name "Arabia" can be traced back many centuries B.C., the ancient Egyptians referred to the region as "Ar Rabi"
Government typein transitionabsolute monarchy
Capitalname: Sanaa

geographic coordinates: 15 21 N, 44 12 E

time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: the name is reputed to mean "well-fortified" in Sabaean, the South Arabian language that went extinct in Yemen in the 6th century A.D.
name: Riyadh

geographic coordinates: 24 39 N, 46 42 E

time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: the name derives from the Arabic word "riyadh," meaning "gardens," and refers to various oasis towns in the area that merged to form the city
Administrative divisions22 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Abyan, 'Adan (Aden), Ad Dali', Al Bayda', Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit, Amanat al 'Asimah (Sanaa City), 'Amran, Arkhabil Suqutra (Socotra Archipelago), Dhamar, Hadramawt, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Ma'rib, Raymah, Sa'dah, San'a' (Sanaa), Shabwah, Ta'izz13 regions (manatiq, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah (Northern Border), Al Jawf, Al Madinah al Munawwarah (Medina), Al Qasim, Ar Riyad (Riyadh), Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jazan, Makkah al Mukarramah (Mecca), Najran, Tabuk
Independence22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen was established with the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and the Marxist-dominated People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]); notable earlier dates: North Yemen became independent on 1 November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and became a republic with the overthrow of the theocratic Imamate on 27 September 1962; South Yemen became independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)
National holidayUnification Day, 22 May (1990)Saudi National Day (Unification of the Kingdom), 23 September (1932)
Constitutionhistory: adopted by referendum 16 May 1991 (following unification); note - after the National  Dialogue ended in January 2015, a Constitutional Drafting Committee appointed by the president worked to prepare a new draft constitution that was expected to be put to a national referendum before being adopted; however, the start of the current conflict in early 2015 interrupted the process

amendments: amended several times, last in 2009
history: 1 March 1992 - Basic Law of Government, issued by royal decree, serves as the constitutional framework and is based on the Qur'an and the life and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad

amendments: proposed by the king directly or proposed to the king by the Consultative Assembly or by the Council of Ministers; passage by the king through royal decree; Basic Law amended many times, last in 2017
Legal systemmixed legal system of Islamic (sharia) law, Napoleonic law, English common law, and customary lawIslamic (sharia) legal system with some elements of Egyptian, French, and customary law; note - several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees
Suffrage18 years of age; universal18 years of age; restricted to males; universal for municipal elections
Executive branchchief of state: President Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI (since 21 February 2012); Vice President ALI MUHSIN al-Ahmar, Lt. Gen. (since 3 April 2016)

head of government: Prime Minister Maeen Abd al-Malik SAEED (since 15 October 2018)

cabinet: appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 February 2012 (next election NA); note - a special election was held on 21 February 2012 to remove Ali Abdallah SALIH under the terms of a Gulf Cooperation Council-mediated deal during the political crisis of 2011; vice president appointed by the president; prime minister appointed by the president

election results: Abd Rabuh Mansur HADI (GPC) elected as a consensus president with about 50% popular participation; no other candidates
chief of state: King and Prime Minister SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 23 January 2015); Crown Prince MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (born 31 August 1985); note - the monarch is both chief of state and head of government

head of government: King and Prime Minister SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 23 January 2015); Crown Prince MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (born 31 August 1985)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch every 4 years and includes many royal family members

elections/appointments: none; the monarchy is hereditary; an Allegiance Council created by royal decree in October 2006 established a committee of Saudi princes for a voice in selecting future Saudi kings
Legislative branchdescription: bicameral Parliament or Majlis consists of:
Shura Council or Majlis Alshoora (111 seats; members appointed by the president; member tenure NA)
House of Representatives or Majlis al Nuwaab (301 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms)

elections:
House of Representatives - last held on 27 April 2003 (next scheduled for April 2009 but postponed indefinitely)

election results:
percent of vote by party - GPC 58.0%, Islah 22.6%, YSP 3.8%, Unionist Party 1.9%, other 13.7%; seats by party - GPC 238, Islah 46, YSP 8, Nasserist Unionist Party 3, National Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party 2, independent 4
description: unicameral Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (150 seats; members appointed by the monarch to serve 4-year terms); note - in early 2013, the monarch granted women 30 seats on the Council

note: composition as of 2013 - men 121, women 30, percent of women 19.9%
Judicial branchhighest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the court president, 2 deputies, and nearly 50 judges; court organized into constitutional, civil, commercial, family, administrative, criminal, military, and appeals scrutiny divisions)

judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council, which is chaired by the president of the republic and includes 10 high-ranking judicial officers; judges serve for life with mandatory retirement at age 65

subordinate courts: appeal courts; district or first instance courts; commercial courts
highest courts: High Court (consists of the court chief and organized into circuits with 3-judge panels, except for the criminal circuit, which has a 5-judge panel for cases involving major punishments)

judge selection and term of office: High Court chief and chiefs of the High Court Circuits appointed by royal decree upon the recommendation of the Supreme Judiciary Council, a 10-member body of high-level judges and other judicial heads; new judges and assistant judges serve 1- and 2-year probations, respectively, before permanent assignment

subordinate courts: Court of Appeals; Specialized Criminal Court, first-degree courts composed of general, criminal, personal status, and commercial courts; Labor Court; a hierarchy of administrative courts
Political parties and leadersGeneral People's Congress or GPC (3 factions: pro-Hadi [Abdrabbi Mansur HADI], pro-Houthi [Sadeq Ameen Abu RAS], pro-Saleh [Ahmed SALEH]
National Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party [Qassem Salam SAID]
Nasserist Unionist People's Organization [Abdulmalik al-MEKHLAFI]
Southern Transitional Council or STC [Aidarus al-ZOUBAIDA]
Yemeni Reform Grouping or Islah [Muhammed Abdallah al-YADUMI]
Yemeni Socialist Party or YSP [Dr. Abd al-Rahman Umar al-SAQQAF]

(
none
International organization participationAFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, EITI (temporarily suspended), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTOABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BIS, CAEU, CP, FAO, G-20, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the USchief of mission: Ambassador Ahmad Awadh BIN MUBARAK (since 3 August 2015)

chancery: 2319 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 965-4760

FAX: [1] (202) 337-2017

email address and website:
Information@yemenembassy.org

https://www.yemenembassy.org/
chief of mission: Ambassador Princess REEMA bint Bandar Al Saud (since 8 July 2019)

chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800

FAX: [1] (202) 295-3625

email address and website:
info@saudiembassy.net

https://www.saudiembassy.net/

consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the USchief of mission: ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Cathy WESTLEY (since 23 May 2021); note - the embassy closed in March 2015; Yemen Affairs Unit currently operates out of US Embassy Riyadh

embassy: previously - Sa'awan Street, Sanaa

mailing address: 6330 Sanaa Place, Washington DC  20521-6330

telephone: US Embassy Riyadh [966] 11-488-3800
previously - [967] 1 755-2000

FAX: US Embassy Riyadh [966] 11-488-7360

email address and website:
YemenEmergencyUSC@state.gov

https://ye.usembassy.gov/
chief of mission: ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Martina STRONG (since February 2021)

embassy: Riyadh 11564

mailing address: 6300 Riyadh Place, Washington DC  20521-6300

telephone: [966] (11) 835-4000

FAX: [966] (11) 488-7360

email address and website:
RiyadhACS@state.gov

https://sa.usembassy.gov/

consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jeddah
Flag descriptionthree equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white)

note: similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars in the white band, and of Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band
green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design dates to the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family, which established the kingdom in 1932; the flag is manufactured with differing obverse and reverse sides so that the Shahada reads - and the sword points - correctly from right to left on both sides

note: the only national flag to display an inscription as its principal design; one of only three national flags that differ on their obverse and reverse sides - the others are Moldova and Paraguay
National anthemname: "al-qumhuriyatu l-muttahida" (United Republic)

lyrics/music: Abdullah Abdulwahab NOA'MAN/Ayyoab Tarish ABSI

note: adopted 1990; the music first served as the anthem for South Yemen before unification with North Yemen in 1990
name: "Aash Al Maleek" (Long Live Our Beloved King)

lyrics/music: Ibrahim KHAFAJI/Abdul Rahman al-KHATEEB

note: music adopted 1947, lyrics adopted 1984
International law organization participationhas not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCthas not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
National symbol(s)golden eagle; national colors: red, white, blackpalm tree surmounting two crossed swords; national colors: green, white
Citizenshipcitizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Yemen; if the father is unknown, the mother must be a citizen

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years
citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Saudi Arabia; a child born out of wedlock in Saudi Arabia to a Saudi mother and unknown father

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Economy

YemenSaudi Arabia
Economy - overview

Yemen is a low-income country that faces difficult long-term challenges to stabilizing and growing its economy, and the current conflict has only exacerbated those issues. The ongoing war has halted Yemen's exports, pressured the currency's exchange rate, accelerated inflation, severely limited food and fuel imports, and caused widespread damage to infrastructure. The conflict has also created a severe humanitarian crisis - the world's largest cholera outbreak currently at nearly 1 million cases, more than 7 million people at risk of famine, and more than 80% of the population in need of humanitarian assistance.

Prior to the start of the conflict in 2014, Yemen was highly dependent on declining oil and gas resources for revenue. Oil and gas earnings accounted for roughly 25% of GDP and 65% of government revenue. The Yemeni Government regularly faced annual budget shortfalls and tried to diversify the Yemeni economy through a reform program designed to bolster non-oil sectors of the economy and foreign investment. In July 2014, the government continued reform efforts by eliminating some fuel subsidies and in August 2014, the IMF approved a three-year, $570 million Extended Credit Facility for Yemen.

However, the conflict that began in 2014 stalled these reform efforts and ongoing fighting continues to accelerate the country's economic decline. In September 2016, President HADI announced the move of the main branch of Central Bank of Yemen from Sanaa to Aden where his government could exert greater control over the central bank's dwindling resources. Regardless of which group controls the main branch, the central bank system is struggling to function. Yemen's Central Bank's foreign reserves, which stood at roughly $5.2 billion prior to the conflict, have declined to negligible amounts. The Central Bank can no longer fully support imports of critical goods or the country's exchange rate. The country also is facing a growing liquidity crisis and rising inflation. The private sector is hemorrhaging, with almost all businesses making substantial layoffs. Access to food and other critical commodities such as medical equipment is limited across the country due to security issues on the ground. The Social Welfare Fund, a cash transfer program for Yemen's neediest, is no longer operational and has not made any disbursements since late 2014.

Yemen will require significant international assistance during and after the protracted conflict to stabilize its economy. Long-term challenges include a high population growth rate, high unemployment, declining water resources, and severe food scarcity.

Saudi Arabia has an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. It possesses about 16% of the world's proven petroleum reserves, ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 87% of budget revenues, 42% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings.

Saudi Arabia is encouraging the growth of the private sector in order to diversify its economy and to employ more Saudi nationals. Approximately 6 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, particularly in the oil and service sectors; at the same time, however, Riyadh is struggling to reduce unemployment among its own nationals. Saudi officials are particularly focused on employing its large youth population.

In 2017, the Kingdom incurred a budget deficit estimated at 8.3% of GDP, which was financed by bond sales and drawing down reserves. Although the Kingdom can finance high deficits for several years by drawing down its considerable foreign assets or by borrowing, it has cut capital spending and reduced subsidies on electricity, water, and petroleum products and recently introduced a value-added tax of 5%. In January 2016, Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN announced that Saudi Arabia intends to list shares of its state-owned petroleum company, ARAMCO - another move to increase revenue and outside investment. The government has also looked at privatization and diversification of the economy more closely in the wake of a diminished oil market. Historically, Saudi Arabia has focused diversification efforts on power generation, telecommunications, natural gas exploration, and petrochemical sectors. More recently, the government has approached investors about expanding the role of the private sector in the health care, education and tourism industries. While Saudi Arabia has emphasized their goals of diversification for some time, current low oil prices may force the government to make more drastic changes ahead of their long-run timeline.

GDP (purchasing power parity)$73.63 billion (2017 est.)

$78.28 billion (2016 est.)

$90.63 billion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
$1,609,323,000,000 (2019 est.)

$1,604,007,000,000 (2018 est.)

$1,565,891,000,000 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP - real growth rate-5.9% (2017 est.)

-13.6% (2016 est.)

-16.7% (2015 est.)
-0.9% (2017 est.)

1.7% (2016 est.)

4.1% (2015 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)$2,500 (2017 est.)

$2,700 (2016 est.)

$3,200 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
$46,962 (2019 est.)

$47,597 (2018 est.)

$47,309 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP - composition by sectoragriculture: 20.3% (2017 est.)

industry: 11.8% (2017 est.)

services: 67.9% (2017 est.)
agriculture: 2.6% (2017 est.)

industry: 44.2% (2017 est.)

services: 53.2% (2017 est.)
Population below poverty line48.6% (2014 est.)NA
Household income or consumption by percentage sharelowest 10%: 2.6%

highest 10%: 30.3% (2008 est.)
lowest 10%: NA

highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices)24.7% (2017 est.)

-12.6% (2016 est.)
-2% (2019 est.)

-4.5% (2018 est.)

-0.8% (2017 est.)
Labor force7.425 million (2017 est.)13.8 million (2017 est.)

note: comprised of 3.1 million Saudis and 10.7 million non-Saudis
Labor force - by occupation

note: most people are employed in agriculture and herding; services, construction, industry, and commerce account for less than one-fourth of the labor force

agriculture: 6.7%

industry: 21.4%

services: 71.9% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate27% (2014 est.)

35% (2003 est.)
6% (2017 est.)

5.6% (2016 est.)

note: data are for total population; unemployment among Saudi nationals is more than double
Distribution of family income - Gini index36.7 (2014 est.)

37.3 (1999 est.)
45.9 (2013 est.)
Budgetrevenues: 2.821 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 4.458 billion (2017 est.)
revenues: 181 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 241.8 billion (2017 est.)
Industriescrude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles, leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; aluminum products; cement; commercial ship repair; natural gas productioncrude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, fertilizer, plastics, metals, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair, construction
Industrial production growth rate8.9% (2017 est.)-2.4% (2017 est.)
Agriculture - productsmangoes/guavas, potatoes, sorghum, onions, milk, poultry, watermelons, grapes, oranges, bananasmilk, dates, poultry, fruit, watermelons, barley, wheat, potatoes, eggs, tomatoes
Exports$384.5 million (2017 est.)

$940 million (2016 est.)
$221.1 billion (2017 est.)

$183.6 billion (2016 est.)
Exports - commoditiescrude petroleum, gold, fish, industrial chemical liquids, scrap iron (2019)crude petroleum, refined petroleum, polymers, industrial alcohols, natural gas (2019)
Exports - partnersChina 53%, Saudi Arabia 10%, United Arab Emirates 7%, Australia 5% (2019)China 20%, India 11%, Japan 11%, South Korea 9%, United States 5% (2019)
Imports$4.079 billion (2017 est.)

$3.117 billion (2016 est.)
$119.3 billion (2017 est.)

$127.8 billion (2016 est.)
Imports - commoditieswheat, refined petroleum, iron, rice, cars (2019)cars, broadcasting equipment, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, telephones (2019)
Imports - partnersChina 25%, Turkey 10%, United Arab Emirates 9%, Saudi Arabia 8%, India 7% (2019)China 18%, United Arab Emirates 12%, United States 9%, Germany 5% (2019)
Debt - external$6.805 billion (2018 est.)

$7.181 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$205.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$189.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Exchange ratesYemeni rials (YER) per US dollar -

275 (2017 est.)

214.9 (2016 est.)

214.9 (2015 est.)

228 (2014 est.)

214.89 (2013 est.)
Saudi riyals (SAR) per US dollar -

3.7514 (2020 est.)

3.75 (2019 est.)

3.7518 (2018 est.)

3.75 (2014 est.)

3.75 (2013 est.)
Fiscal yearcalendar yearcalendar year
Public debt74.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

68.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
17.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

13.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold$245.4 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$592.6 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$496.4 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$535.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Current Account Balance-$1.236 billion (2017 est.)

-$1.868 billion (2016 est.)
$15.23 billion (2017 est.)

-$23.87 billion (2016 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)$54.356 billion (2018 est.)$792.849 billion (2019 est.)
Ease of Doing Business Index scoresOverall score: 31.8 (2020)

Starting a Business score: 76.8 (2020)

Trading score: 0 (2020)

Enforcement score: 48.5 (2020)
Overall score: 71.6 (2020)

Starting a Business score: 93.1 (2020)

Trading score: 76 (2020)

Enforcement score: 65.3 (2020)
Taxes and other revenues9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)26.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)-5.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)-8.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24total: 24.5%

male: 23.5%

female: 34.6% (2014 est.)
total: 28.8%

male: 19.9%

female: 62.6% (2018 est.)
GDP - composition, by end usehousehold consumption: 116.6% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 17.6% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 2.2% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 7.5% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -43.9% (2017 est.)
household consumption: 41.3% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 24.5% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 23.2% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 4.7% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 34.8% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -28.6% (2017 est.)
Gross national saving-1.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

-3.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

-4.5% of GDP (2015 est.)
33.6% of GDP (2019 est.)

33.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

30.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

Energy

YemenSaudi Arabia
Electricity - production4.784 billion kWh (2016 est.)324.1 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - consumption3.681 billion kWh (2016 est.)296.2 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - exports0 kWh (2016 est.)0 kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - imports0 kWh (2016 est.)0 kWh (2016 est.)
Oil - production61,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)10.425 million bbl/day (2018 est.)
Oil - imports0 bbl/day (2015 est.)0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Oil - exports8,990 bbl/day (2015 est.)7.341 million bbl/day (2015 est.)
Oil - proved reserves3 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)266.2 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves478.5 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)8.619 trillion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
Natural gas - production481.4 million cu m (2017 est.)109.3 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - consumption481.4 million cu m (2017 est.)109.3 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - exports0 cu m (2017 est.)0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - imports0 cu m (2017 est.)0 cu m (2017 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity1.819 million kW (2016 est.)82.94 million kW (2016 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels79% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources21% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production20,180 bbl/day (2015 est.)2.476 million bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption104,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)3.287 million bbl/day (2016 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports12,670 bbl/day (2015 est.)1.784 million bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports75,940 bbl/day (2015 est.)609,600 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Electricity accesselectrification - total population: 47% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 72% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 31% (2019)
electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Telecommunications

YemenSaudi Arabia
Telephones - main lines in usetotal subscriptions: 1,253,287

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4.28 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 5,377,978

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15.97 (2019 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellulartotal subscriptions: 16,158,028

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 55.18 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 41,298,629

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 122.66 (2019 est.)
Internet country code.ye.sa
Internet userstotal: 7,659,884

percent of population: 26.72% (July 2018 est.)
total: 30,877,318

percent of population: 93.31% (July 2018 est.)
Telecommunication systemsgeneral assessment:

large percent of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance and telecom services are vital but disrupted; mobile towers are often deliberately targeted; maintenance is dangerous to staff; aid organizations rely on satellite and radio communications; scarcity of telecom equipment in rural areas; ownership of telecom services and the related revenues and taxes have become a political issue; Chinese company Huawei helping to rebuild some equipment (2020)

(2020)

domestic: the national network consists of microwave radio relay, cable, tropospheric scatter, GSM and CDMA mobile-cellular telephone systems; fixed-line teledensity remains low by regional standards at 4 per 100 but mobile cellular use expanding at 55 per 100 (2019)

international: country code - 967; landing points for the FALCON, SeaMeWe-5, Aden-Djibouti, and the AAE-1 international submarine cable connecting Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Southeast Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 2 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and Djibouti (2020)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

general assessment:

one of the most progressive telecom markets in the Middle East; mobile penetration high, with a saturated market; mobile operators competitive and meeting the demand for workers, students and citizens working from home; Huawei partners with operator to provide 5G to dozens of cities; broadband is available with DSL, fiber, and wireless; mobile penetration is high; restrictive monarchy places limits on information and services available online; authorities operate extensive censorship and surveillance systems; major importer of broadcasting equipment from UAE and China (2020)

(2020)

domestic: fixed-line 16 per 100 and mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing rapidly to 121 per 100 persons (2019)

international: country code - 966; landing points for the SeaMeWe-3, -4, -5, AAE-1, EIG, FALCON, FEA, IMEWE, MENA/Gulf Bridge International, SEACOM, SAS-1, -2, GBICS/MENA, and the Tata TGN-Gulf submarine cables providing connectivity to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia; microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region) (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Broadband - fixed subscriptionstotal: 386,330

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2018 est.)
total: 6,801,949

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20.2 (2019 est.)
Broadcast mediastate-run TV with 2 stations; state-run radio with 2 national radio stations and 5 local stations; stations from Oman and Saudi Arabia can be accessedbroadcast media are state-controlled; state-run TV operates 4 networks; Saudi Arabia is a major market for pan-Arab satellite TV broadcasters; state-run radio operates several networks; multiple international broadcasters are available

Transportation

YemenSaudi Arabia
Roadwaystotal: 71,300 km (2005)

paved: 6,200 km (2005)

unpaved: 65,100 km (2005)
total: 221,372 km (2006)

paved: 47,529 km (includes 3,891 km of expressways) (2006)

unpaved: 173,843 km (2006)
Pipelines641 km gas, 22 km liquid petroleum gas, 1370 km oil (2013)209 km condensate, 2940 km gas, 1183 km liquid petroleum gas, 5117 km oil, 1151 km refined products (2013)
Ports and terminalsmajor seaport(s): Aden, Al Hudaydah, Al Mukallamajor seaport(s): Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Jeddah, King Abdulla, Yanbu'

container port(s) (TEUs): Ad Dammam (1,822,642), Jeddah (4,433,991), King Abdulla (2,020,683) (2019)
Merchant marinetotal: 33

by type: general cargo 2, oil tanker 4, other 27 (2020)
total: 376

by type: bulk carrier 5, container ship 1, general cargo 22, oil tanker 61, other 287 (2020)
Airportstotal: 57 (2013)total: 214 (2013)
Airports - with paved runwaystotal: 17 (2013)

over 3,047 m: 4 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013)
total: 82 (2017)

over 3,047 m: 33 (2017)

2,438 to 3,047 m: 16 (2017)

1,524 to 2,437 m: 27 (2017)

914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2017)

under 914 m: 4 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runwaystotal: 40 (2013)

over 3,047 m: 3 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m: 16 (2013)

under 914 m: 9 (2013)
total: 132 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m: 72 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m: 37 (2013)

under 914 m: 16 (2013)
National air transport systemnumber of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 8

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 336,310 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 3.27 million mt-km (2018)
number of registered air carriers: 12 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 230

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 39,141,660 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1,085,470,000 mt-km (2018)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix7OHZ

Military

YemenSaudi Arabia
Military branches

as of 2020-2021, military and security forces operating in Yemen consists of a patchwork of government, non-state, and foreign-backed regular, semi-regular/militia, and paramilitary forces, often with informal command organizations and conflicting, fluid, or overlapping agendas, loyalties, and relationships; in addition, the Huthis maintain opposition military and security forces

Republic of Yemen Government (ROYG) forces; Ministry of Defense: Yemeni National Army, Air Force and Air Defense, Navy and Coastal Defense Forces, Border Guard, Strategic Reserve Forces (includes Special Forces and Presidential Protection Brigades, which are under the Ministry of Defense but responsible to the president), Popular Committee Forces (government-backed tribal militia); Ministry of Interior: Special Security Forces (paramilitary; formerly known as Central Security Forces), Political Security Organization (state security), National Security Bureau (intelligence), Counterterrorism Unit

Saudi-backed forces: paramilitary/militia border security brigades based largely on tribal or regional affiliation (deployed along the Saudi-Yemen border, especially the areas bordering the governorates of Saada and Al-Jawf)

United Arab Emirates-backed forces include tribal and regionally-based militia and paramilitary forces (concentrated in the southern governates):  Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces, including the Security Belt Forces, the Shabwani and Hadrami "Elit-e" Forces, the Support and Backup Forces (aka Logistics and Support Forces), Facilities Protection Forces, and Anti-Terrorism Forces; Republican Forces; Joint Forces; note - under the 2019 Riyadh Agreement, the STC forces are to be incorporated into Yemen's Ministries of Defense and Interior under the authority of the HADI government

Huthi: ground, air/air defense, coastal defense, presidential protection, special operations, missile, and tribal militia forces



note - a considerable portion--up to 70 percent by some estimates--of Yemen's military and security forces defected in whole or in part to former president SALAH and the Huthi opposition in 2011-2015

Ministry of Defense: Royal Saudi Land Forces, Royal Saudi Naval Forces (includes marines, special forces, naval aviation), Royal Saudi Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces, Royal Saudi Strategic Missiles Force; Ministry of the National Guard (SANG); Ministry of Interior: Border Guard, Facilities Security Force (2021)

note: SANG (also known as the White Army) is a land force separate from the Ministry of Defense that is responsible for internal security, protecting the royal family, and external defense
Military service age and obligation18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2001; 2-year service obligation (note - limited information since the start of the civil war) (2019)17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; in 2018, women were allowed to serve as soldiers in the internal security services under certain requirements; in 2019, the Saudi Government agreed to allow women to join the armed forces and serve as soldiers up to the rank of non-commissioned officer (2021)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP4.3% of GDP (2014)

4.3% of GDP (2013)

4.7% of GDP (2012)

5% of GDP (2011)

4.8% of GDP (2010)

note - no reliable information exists following the start of renewed conflict in 2015
7% of GDP (2020 est.)

8% of GDP (2019)

9.5% of GDP (2018)

11.1% of GDP (2017)

10.8% of GDP (2016)
Military and security service personnel strengths

information limited and widely varied; ROYG: up to 300,000 estimated military, paramilitary, and militia forces; UAE- and Saudi-backed forces: 150-200,000 estimated trained fighters; Huthis: up to 200,000 estimated fighters (2021)

the Saudi military forces have about 225,000 active troops; approximately 125,000 under the Ministry of Defense (75,000 Land Forces; 14,000 Naval Forces; 36,000 Air Force/Air Defense/Strategic Missile Forces) and approximately 100,000 in the Saudi Arabia National Guard (SANG) (2021)

note: SANG also has an irregular force (Fowj), primarily Bedouin tribal volunteers, with a total strength of approximately 25,000 men
Military equipment inventories and acquisitionsthe inventory of the Yemeni Government forces consists primarily of Russian and Soviet-era equipment, although much of it has been lost in the current conflict; since the start of the civil war in 2014, it has received limited amounts of donated equipment from some Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia and UAE (2020)the inventory of the Saudi military forces, including the SANG, includes a mix of mostly modern weapons systems from the US and Europe; since 2010, the US is the leading supplier of armaments, followed by France and the UK; Saudi Arabia is the world's largest arms importer (2020)

Transnational Issues

YemenSaudi Arabia
Disputes - international

Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activities

Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the now fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activities; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; Saudi Arabia claims Egyptian-administered islands of Tiran and Sanafir

Refugees and internally displaced personsrefugees (country of origin): 112,865 (Somalia), 16,193 (Ethiopia) (2021)

IDPs: 4,002,012 (conflict in Sa'ada Governorate; clashes between al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula and government forces) (2020)
stateless persons: 70,000 (2020); note - thousands of biduns (stateless Arabs) are descendants of nomadic tribes who were not officially registered when national borders were established, while others migrated to Saudi Arabia in search of jobs; some have temporary identification cards that must be renewed every five years, but their rights remain restricted; most Palestinians have only legal resident status; some naturalized Yemenis were made stateless after being stripped of their passports when Yemen backed Iraq in its invasion of Kuwait in 1990; Saudi women cannot pass their citizenship on to their children, so if they marry a non-national, their children risk statelessness
Trafficking in personscurrent situation: Yemen is a source and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and women and children subjected to sex trafficking; trafficking activities grew in Yemen in 2014, as the country's security situation deteriorated and poverty worsened; armed groups increased their recruitment of Yemeni children as combatants or checkpoint guards, and the Yemeni military and security forces continue to use child soldiers; some other Yemeni children, mostly boys, migrate to Yemeni cities or Saudi Arabia and, less frequently Oman, where they end up as beggars, drug smugglers, prostitutes, or forced laborers in domestic service or small shops; Yemeni children increasingly are also subjected to sex trafficking in country and in Saudi Arabia; tens of thousands of Yemeni migrant workers deported from Saudi Arabia and thousands of Syrian refugees are vulnerable to trafficking; additionally, Yemen is a destination and transit country for women and children from the Horn of Africa who are looking for work or receive fraudulent job offers in the Gulf states but are subjected to sexual exploitation or forced labor upon arrival; reports indicate that adults and children are still sold or inherited as slaves in Yemen

tier rating: Tier 3 - Yemen does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; weak government institutions, corruption, economic problems, security threats, and poor law enforcement capabilities impeded the government's ability to combat human trafficking; not all forms of trafficking are criminalized, and officials continue to conflate trafficking and smuggling; the status of an anti-trafficking law drafted with assistance from an international organization remains unknown following the dissolution of the government in January 2015; the government did not report efforts to investigate, prosecute, or convict anyone of trafficking or slavery offenses, including complicit officials, despite reports of officials willfully ignoring trafficking crimes and using child soldiers in the government's armed forces; the government acknowledged the use of child soldiers and signed a UN action plan to end the practice in 2014 but made no efforts to release child soldiers from the military and provide them with rehabilitative services; authorities failed to identify victims and refer them to protective services; the status of a draft national anti-trafficking strategy remains unknown (2015)
current situation: Saudi Arabia is a destination country for men and women subjected to forced labor and, to a lesser extent, forced prostitution; men and women primarily from South and Southeast Asia and Africa voluntarily travel to Saudi Arabia to work in domestic service, construction, agriculture or other low-skilled jobs, but some subsequently face conditions indicative of involuntary servitude (many are forced to work months or years beyond their contract term because employers withhold passports and required exit visas); women, primarily from Asian and African countries, are reported to be forced into prostitution in Saudi Arabia

tier rating:

Tier 2 Watch List - Saudi Arabia does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but is making significant efforts to do so and was upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List;

the government enacted the country's first-ever national referral mechanism (NRM) and increased the number of prosecutions and convictions under the anti-trafficking law; victims are identified and referred for care; the government convicted and sentenced two Saudi officials complicit in trafficking crimes; however, the government continued to fine, jail, and/or deport migrant workers for prostitution or immigration violations who may have been trafficking victims; authorities regularly misclassified potential trafficking crimes as labor law violations rather than as criminal offenses (2020)

Terrorism

YemenSaudi Arabia
Terrorist Group(s)Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Yemen; al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); al-Qa'ida; al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Environment

YemenSaudi Arabia
Air pollutantsparticulate matter emissions: 44.96 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 10.61 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 8.03 megatons (2020 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 78.38 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 563.45 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 45.47 megatons (2020 est.)
Total water withdrawalmunicipal: 265 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 65 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 3.235 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
municipal: 3.15 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 1 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 19.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Revenue from forest resourcesforest revenues: 0.04% of GDP (2018 est.)forest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from coalcoal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Waste and recyclingmunicipal solid waste generated annually: 4,836,820 tons (2011 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 386,946 tons (2016 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 8% (2016 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 16,125,701 tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 2,418,855 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 15% (2015 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook