Gulf neighbours key to resolving Yemen´s ills

Key to solving economic ills of world´s poorest Arab state are its energy-rich Gulf neighbours.

Yemen's energy-rich Gulf neighbours are key to solving its chronic economic ills and must boost aid to the world's poorest Arab state, which won a pledge of support at this week's London meeting, analysts said Thursday.

Almost 60 percent of Yemen's population of 24 million is affected by poverty, while Gulf states boast one of the highest per capita incomes in the world thanks to their huge oil wealth.

The six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, which together hold almost 45 percent of global crude reserves, are home to millions of foreign workers, especially Asians, but relatively few Yemenis.

- GCC states must seriously and effectively provide as much assistance as possible to Yemen, without necessarily linking aid to admitting it into the GCC - London-based analyst Abdulwahab Badrakhan said.

- Yemen has become a point of instability and could become another Somalia. Its problems concern the GCC, whether it is Al-Qaeda, the Huthi rebels in the north or the secessionist movement in the south - Badrakhan told AFP.

GCC states have been contributing to Yemen's development

- The deteriorating situation in Yemen can be exploited regionally, especially by Iran, which is a source of concern for Gulf states - he said.

- Sanaa failing in the fight against Al-Qaeda could result in an international intervention, which will increase the Gulf states' involvement in Yemen's problems - he added.

But GCC states, headed by Saudi Arabia, have been contributing to Yemen's development efforts, and the six nations were among 24 countries that attended Wednesday's meeting on Yemen in London.

The talks were called after an attempt to blow up a US-bound passenger jet on Christmas Day. The 23-year-old Nigerian man charged with the attack is believed to have been trained by Al-Qaeda in Yemen.

Riyadh will host Western and Gulf donors at a meeting on February 27-28 to follow up on the London talks and focus on providing aid to Yemen.

Yemen's Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Kurbi told reporters in London that GCC aid to Sanaa represented 60 percent of total assistance to Yemen.

In 2006, Yemen won pledges of 4.7 billion dollars at a donors conference in London, four billion dollars of which were promised by the GCC. However, only seven percent of the pledged aid has arrived.

The Yemeni government does not want a penny for itself

Analysts believe that widespread corruption, weak governance and a lack of stability have prevented donor countries from sending aid.

Kurbi said ''the Yemeni government does not want a penny for itself, but wants donor countries to carry out and manage development projects.''

Yemeni Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Mujawar told the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper on Thursday that it needs up to 40 billion dollars of aid.

- Certainly, we need a Marshall plan for supporting Yemen. I believe the amount needed is around 40 billion dollars - said Mujawar, adding that poverty was the root cause of Yemen's problems.

The premier also called on Gulf states to allow Yemenis to work in the Gulf. According to official figures, the unemployment rate in Yemen is around 34 percent.

Yemeni regime must shoulder its responsibility for stability and security

''Gulf states, and Saudi Arabia in particular, have considerably reduced the number of visas to Yemenis since the 1990 Gulf War'' over Yemen's perceived support to Iraq's Saddam Hussein, said Neil Partrick, a former professor at Sharjah University and a Gulf expert.

- I believe there are fears in the Gulf about economic openness to Yemen, which has a large population of 24 million - almost equal to the native population of GCC states, Partrick told AFP.

The GCC states, grouping Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have a population of 38.5 million, including about 13 million foreign workers.

Any Gulf aid is confronted with major political and security problems.

- For any aid to flow, the Gulf states will demand that the Yemeni regime shoulders its responsibilities towards stability and security - Badrakhan said.

- Everyone considers, at least secretly, that the main problem in Yemen is the state and not the south or north or even Al-Qaeda - he said