Transport in Yemen

As a direct consequence of the country's poverty, Yemen compares unfavorably with its Middle Eastern neighbors in terms of transportation infrastructure and communications network.

There is no rail network, efforts to upgrade airport facilities have languished, and telephone and Internet usage and capabilities are limited.

However, the expected imposition of higher insurance premiums for shippers in 2006 may result in reduced future throughput.

In the north, roads connecting Sanaa, Taizz, and Al Hudaydah are in good condition, as is the intercity bus system.

Plans are underway to build an estimated US$1.6 billion highway linking Aden (in the south) and Amran (in the north).

The road will include more than 10 tunnels and halve the travel time between the southern coast and the northern border with Saudi Arabia.

Within cities, minivans and small buses ply somewhat regular routes, picking up and dropping off passengers with little regard for other vehicles.

Many vehicles are in poor repair and lack basic parts such as functional turn signals, headlights, and taillights.

Travelling off well-used tracks without an experienced guide could be extremely hazardous, particularly in parts of the south and the central highlands.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Ottoman Empire suggested that the Hejaz railway be extended to Yemen, but this never materialized.

[4] More recently, in 2005, the Yemeni government began to investigate rail connections as part of an overall initiative to upgrade its transportation infrastructure.

[5] In 2008 the Gulf Cooperation Council announced that it had agreed to include Yemen in plans for an integrated regional rail system and launched feasibility studies.

In addition, Ras Isa serves as the loading point for oil exports, and a small amount of cargo passes through Nishtun.

In June 2005, Dubai Ports International was selected to manage and operate the ACT (and possibly Maalla Terminal) under a 30-year or longer contract; the Yemeni government will remain a minority shareholder.

[1] The International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden are high risk for piracy; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom; the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators reduced the incidence of piracy in that body of water by more than half in 2010.

A major reconstruction and expansion of Aden International was completed in 2001, including a new runway that can handle large, long-haul aircraft.