[30/06/2026 03:37]

HAMBURG-SABA
Planning and International Cooperation Minister Dr. Afrah Al-Zouba held separate meetings on Tuesday with Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development Director General Waleed Al-Bahar and German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development State Minister Niels Annen to discuss expanding development cooperation with Yemen.

The discussions took place on the sidelines of the Hamburg Sustainability Conference 2026.

During her meeting with Al-Bahar, attended by Yemen's Ambassador to Germany Louai Al-Eryani and Kuwait's Ambassador to Germany Reem Al-Khaled, the two sides reviewed the portfolio of priority projects financed by the Kuwait Fund, with particular focus on water, transport, energy, and vocational training initiatives.

They also explored mechanisms for reviving and completing projects that have been suspended.

Dr. Al-Zouba emphasized that Yemen's recovery requires a gradual transition from humanitarian assistance toward sustainable development, underlining the importance of reinforcing public institutions and safeguarding the delivery of essential services. She also expressed appreciation for Kuwait's continued commitment to supporting Yemen throughout the current challenges.

Al-Bahar reaffirmed the Kuwait Fund's willingness to maintain its support for Yemen's development agenda, noting that a technical delegation would be dispatched to examine the requirements for resuming stalled projects.

He stressed that close coordination between the two sides would be essential to overcoming existing obstacles.

In a separate meeting with German State Minister Niels Annen, Dr. Al-Zouba discussed the broader development partnership between Yemen and Germany, highlighting the government's ongoing economic reform efforts, preparations for the 2027-2029 National Development Plan, and measures to strengthen private-sector participation through public-private partnership initiatives.

The minister praised Germany's sustained development assistance, saying it has played a significant role in supporting vital sectors and strengthening national institutions.

She underscored the importance of preserving that support at a time of declining international humanitarian and development financing, while renewing Yemen's call for the international community not to overlook the needs of fragile states and to keep their challenges high on the G20 agenda.

For his part, Annen reaffirmed Germany's position as a dependable development partner, expressing his country's commitment to maintaining its assistance to Yemen. He also commended the cooperation between German development agencies and Yemeni institutions in delivering both humanitarian and long-term development programs.

---