Surveys & Maps for Red Sea and Aden Gulf [Archives:2001/47/Business & Economy]

Reviewing sea navigation lines is of strategic importance in an attempt to activate Yemen’s role in the World Trade Organization (WTO). The organization will in turn entails a new marketing policy in accordance with the geographical and strategic location of Yemen overlooking the Al-Mandab Strait which controls the international trade passageways. This strategic location contributed very much in improving the Yemeni trade balance with other parts of the world and the neighboring countries. Consequently, a working team from the Ministry of Transportation was convened to amend surveys and preparing special maps dealing with the international navigation lines in the southern parts of the Red Sea and Aden Gulf in order to generate a clearer system dividing the sea roads and locating them for vessels. This will provide huge profits and revenues and will enhance Yemen’s’ role in international trade.
Sources said in the Transportation Ministry that Yemen will offer to the International Navigation Organization proposals concerning the location of the new lines under the name of these countries: Yemen, Djibouti and Eritrea. Sources are expecting the new navigation lines to pass through western crossing points located in the southern parts of the Red Sea.
This new line will provide safety by reducing the risk of sea collisions and controlling the current navigation lines, particularly around the dangerous areas of Hunish archipelagos located in the Red Sea. The British company, Guard Line Service, completed the marine surveys in the southern parts of the Red Sea. It also prepared the necessary maps for the future passing vessels. The British company used up-to-date materials to conduct the sea surveys. Navigation experts said that, by reconsidering the international navigation lines, Yemen together with other countries like Djibouti and Eritrea will achieve its economic objectives. They added that the most important issue should be the protection of the sea from pollution caused by ship collisions and avoiding the dangers of the huge oil tankers.
The new sea lines will consolidate the trade relations between Yemen and the adjacent countries. It is in Yemen’s interest to re-organize sea traffic within a strategic policy which will protect the environment of the Red Sea and Aden gulf and attract foreign capital to be injected in the fish industry. These investments will in turn enable the industry to establish facilities able to export their output.
By this mean, the government expresses its eagerness to increase its revenues from exports not related with the hydrocarbon sector.

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