Saleh visits U.A.E. as donor conference follow-up [Archives:2007/1021/Front Page]
Yasser Al-Mayasi
SANA'A, Jan. 31 ) Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh concludes his two-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates yesterday, following an invitation by its president, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahayyan.
This is Saleh's first visit, aimed at fostering relations between the two Arab nations, since the sheikh assumed leadership of the Emirates.
The two leaders held a summit on various issues concerning their states' relations, including how to improve development programs in Yemen to enhance Yemeni-Gulf economic partnership, as well as touching on regional political issues, notably Iraq and Iran.
Additionally, the summit concentrated on strengthening Yemen's partnership with Gulf Cooperation Council member states, which experienced rapid development following the Abu Dhabi summit late 2005, wherein Yemen's proposals were approved regarding qualifying its economy in order to be integrated into the GCC bloc.
Yemen's entry into the Gulf bloc seeks to strengthen its competitive capacities as well as attract Gulf and foreign investments. Late last year, Yemen received $5 million at the London Donors' Conference to qualify its economy for GCC admission. Such funds are to be spent to qualify Yemen's development, build its infrastructure and strengthen its economy to compete with those of GCC member states.
The Emirates play a primary role in supporting Yemen and qualifying its economy to become fully integrated into the GCC bloc. The Yemeni community in the Emirates is very large, with most Yemenis operating businesses there.
However, recent years have presented great difficulties for Yemeni expatriates living in the Emirates for various reasons, including laws the country imposes upon the expatriate community. Such laws prevent expatriates from obtaining residence permits due to security factors, particularly following the arrest of some Yemenis who crossed into Emirati territory without visas.
According to local political analysts on Yemeni-Emirati affairs, such violations by illegal immigrants are very few and don't justify such a tough policy. Analysts believe one purpose of Saleh's visit is to discuss some of the problems facing the Emirates' Yemeni community and suggest possible solutions to those issues.
Yemeni-Emirati relations date back to 1971, when the Abu Dhabi Development Fund was established as an official Emirati organization to provide external grants to fund economic, agricultural, tourist and industrial projects in Yemen.
The late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan first visited Yemen in 1972, which contributed to consolidating the two states' economic and political ties, ensued by signing several cooperation agreements on trade, culture and media. During that visit, the Emirates agreed to help Yemen implement various education, transportation and housing projects.
Between 1974 and 1996, the nation funded several infrastructure and service projects worth more than 920 million Emirati dirhams (equivalent to more than $250 million).
The two countries' leaders also exchanged official visits, resulting in rehabilitating the historic Marib Dam, which collapsed more than 3,000 years ago. The late sheikh ordered the Emirati fund to grant Yemen $105 million to implement the Marib Dam rehabilitation project, which was completed in 1986.
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