Yemen’s Ministry of Transport has reviewed the legal and administrative measures needed to upgrade and expand the operational capacity of the strategic Qena Port in Shabwah Governorate. Discussed during a technical committee meeting in the temporary capital of Aden, the initiative aims to prepare the port for rising international trade while strengthening the regulation of maritime activities.
The committee, established under Ministerial Decision No. 28 of 2026 and chaired by Transport Minister Mohsen Haidara Al-Amri, discussed the port’s development plan and its alignment with Yemen’s national ports strategy.
The minister directed that an urgent joint meeting be convened involving the Shabwah local authority, the Arabian Sea Ports Corporation, and the ministry’s tender committee to complete the remaining requirements, resolve outstanding obstacles, and pave the way for the project’s formal approval and the launch of port operations.
The issuance of Ministerial Decision No. 28 of 2026 comes despite earlier economic reform decisions by Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, which had ordered the closure of Qena Port to address financial irregularities and combat smuggling.
The new decision seeks to reopen the port and expand its capacity under strict legal and technical oversight by the Arabian Sea Ports Corporation, with the goal of transforming it into an officially recognized state-controlled port that strengthens government authority, increases public revenues, and encourages investment in Shabwah Governorate.
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