Saudi Arabia has extended a fresh tranche of budget assistance exceeding $59.66 million to the Yemeni government, announced Mohamed Al Jabir, the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, on Thursday. This financial aid arrives amid intensifying clashes between Saudi forces and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have escalated assaults on Saudi cities and critical energy infrastructure.
Al Jabir communicated via his social media platform X that the funding was allocated under the directive of Saudi leadership and in response to a formal request from Yemen’s government. He described the support as a response to what he termed “terrorist attacks by the Houthi militia” targeting the resources, properties, and interests of the Yemeni population.
The grant, channeled through the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen, aims to bolster government cash flow, stabilize fiscal policies, and enhance the purchasing power of Yemenis during these turbulent times.
Meanwhile, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued a cautionary advisory urging airlines to avoid Saudi airspace following a surge in attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis. This advisory, posted on the agency’s website on Wednesday, notably does not reference the recent incident involving a diverted flydubai flight. EASA stated it will continue to monitor developments to evaluate any changes in risk levels for EU carriers operating in the region.
In a related update, EASA revised its guidance concerning Jordanian airspace, now recommending that flights avoid it entirely at all altitudes and flight levels, a shift from its earlier advice to exercise caution. Additionally, the agency extended its warnings until November 16 for airlines to steer clear of airspace over Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq, as well as the territorial Gulf waters of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. This update modifies previous bulletins that advised avoiding the entire airspace of these countries.
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has persisted for seven months, was ignited by US and Israeli strikes on Iran. In retaliation, Tehran has launched drone and missile attacks against US allies in the Gulf, while Yemen’s Houthi rebels have targeted Saudi interests, further destabilizing the region.
