Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
The Houthi group in Sana’a announced on Saturday the issuance of a new 50-rial coin. This marks the second such move since their control of the capital and most of northern Yemen, raising renewed economic concerns about the entrenchment of the monetary and banking division in the country.
A statement from the Houthi-controlled Central Bank indicated that the new coin will enter circulation starting Sunday, July 13, 2025. The statement asserted that it is intended to replace damaged banknotes of the same denomination and will have no impact on the money supply or exchange rates.
The bank clarified that the new currency was minted according to “the highest international technical and security specifications.” It also noted that exchange centers would be established at the bank’s main headquarters and its branches in governorates under the group’s control to facilitate the exchange process for citizens and institutions.
The bank reiterated that this step comes as part of what it described as “enhancing confidence in the national currency and the stability of the banking system,” thanking citizens for what it called their “continued trust” in the Central Bank in Sana’a.
It’s worth noting that the Houthis previously issued a new 100-rial coin in 2014, as part of measures they then described as addressing the crisis of damaged banknotes.
Observers believe that such measures deepen the financial division in the country, especially given the existence of two competing monetary authorities in Sana’a and Aden. This negatively impacts the already fragile economic situation and further complicates commercial transactions between the northern and southern regions.
