[3] In the 1830s, Al-Hudaydah was controlled by Ibrahim Pasha's troops, which turned over its administration to Sherif Husayn ibn Ali Haydar.

[6] In 1914, during World War I, Imperial German troops led by Major Freiherr Othmar von Stotzingen established "Stotzingen-Mission [de]", a wireless station, at Al-Hudaydah, which was used during the Arab Revolt to relay communications from Constantinople (now Istanbul) to German East Africa as well as broadcast propaganda to Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Somalis land part of population Northern side and Abyssinia.

The Israeli strike targeted port oil facilities and a power plant, resulting in a large fire killing six and wounding 87.

[10] Situated on the Red Sea, Al-Hudaydah is an important port, exporting coffee, cotton, dates and hides.

[12] The port of Ras Isa is slightly north of Al Hudaydah proper, and is the terminus of the Marib–Ras Isa oil pipeline from inland Yemen, with a major storage and offloading vessel named FSO Safer moored offshore, though idled since the beginning of the Yemeni Civil War in 2015.

A new harbour was built 10 miles northwest of the town by the Ottoman government, with a small train line leading to Al Hudaydah, and connected to the Sana-Hodeida Railway.

The artisans making the cloth were relocated to Al Hudaydah from Zabīd and Beit el-Faki due to tribal conflict.

Al-Hudaydah had to transport its goods through Yemen and Indian ports for security reasons, making export to the United Kingdom troublesome.

During this time period, the region imported cereal and rice from India, cotton from Manchester, England and the United States, iron and steel from Germany, and general goods from Italy and Austria.

[11][18] Due to the risk of a humanitarian crisis if the port is besieged, the United Nations attempted to secure an agreement with the Houthis to place the port under UN control, but was unsuccessful until 13 December 2018, on which date there was an announcement by UN Secretary-General António Guterres that the two sides to the civil war have reached an agreement on a ceasefire.

Geologically, this coastal plain is part of the Red Sea rift valley, covered by recent deposits, which can be divided into two categories, though it’s difficult to distinguish their boundaries.