Yemen Monitor / Aden / Special:
Senior Yemeni government sources revealed to Yemen Monitor that an official committee has been formed to conduct a comprehensive review of all agreements signed with Emirati companies and institutions over the past 11 years, in a strategic move aimed at canceling these contracts and banning future dealings with the Emirati side.
Two government officials said the newly formed committee has already begun compiling an inventory of all agreements signed with companies and institutions affiliated with the United Arab Emirates across various sectors since 2015.
The two sources expect a move toward canceling all such agreements, starting from lease contracts to purchase, supply, and telecommunications agreements.
A source in the Presidency, familiar with internal deliberations, said the committee’s mandate will not be limited to reviewing past contracts, but will also extend to setting restrictions that prevent the conclusion of any new contracts with Emirati companies in the future.
The sources also revealed that imminent “internal” decisions are expected to target facilities and companies owned by leaders of the Southern Transitional Council, which have been proven to have organic or financial links to Emirati institutions and figures (military, commercial, and political). This comes as part of government efforts to dry up sources of illegal influence that affect Yemeni state institutions and their financial and legal standing.
The presidential source noted that an economic and financial team is developing a strategy to confront any attempt by Abu Dhabi to create monetary instability in governorates under the control of the internationally recognized government.
In a related context, the government committee will rely in its evaluation on previous reports issued by the Yemeni Parliament, which had expressed reservations about or criticized certain deals with the Emirati side. The sources stressed that these reports will serve as a “primary reference” for oversight and legal accountability processes, to ensure the recovery of state rights and the protection of national sovereignty in vital sectors.
The sources spoke to Yemen Monitor on condition of anonymity, as they are not authorized to speak to the media and due to the sensitivity of the matter.
These government moves come after years of widespread controversy over the legitimacy and legality of many contracts concluded with Emirati companies, particularly in the ports, telecommunications, and oil sectors. In previous periods, the Yemeni Parliament had issued strongly worded reports accusing some of these agreements of violating the Yemeni constitution and harming the country’s supreme interests.
On 31 December last year, the Yemeni government requested that the UAE and all its forces leave Yemeni territory due to its support for the Southern Transitional Council. Coalition aircraft also struck a shipment of Emirati weapons at the port of Mukalla, and Saudi Arabia accused the UAE of affecting its national security when Southern Transitional Council forces entered the governorates of Al-Mahrah and Hadramawt along the Saudi border.
