President Al-Alimi Speech to Economic Summit in Baghdad

  Baghdad

Your Excellency President Dr. Abdul Latif Rashid,

Your Majesties, Your Excellencies, Your Highnesses,

Your Excellency the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am honored to take part in this esteemed economic summit, hosted by our brotherly Republic of Iraq, at a critical turning point in the history of our Arab nation—one where economic and security challenges are deeply intertwined.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today, I speak on behalf of the resilient Yemeni people, who continue to suffer from the repercussions of the Houthi militia’s terrorist coup, which devastated state institutions and livelihoods, and unleashed one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

I also speak to you at a time when most of Yemen’s cities are plunged into darkness due to a severe financial crisis, exacerbated by the Houthi militia’s terrorist attacks on oil facilities and ports for over two and a half years—attacks that unilaterally nullified a UN-brokered truce and dashed the fragile hopes that followed the establishment of the Presidential Leadership Council.

Were it not for the steadfast and principled support from our brothers in the Coalition to Support Legitimacy—led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other brotherly and friendly nations and international organizations—the situation would have been far more catastrophic.This support has not only been financial but also developmental, service-oriented, and humanitarian, reinforcing the endurance of Yemen’s institutions and easing the suffering of its people, while preserving hope for a new era of recovery and reconstruction.

Your Majesties, Your Excellencies, Your Highnesses,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Yemen is not merely seeking aid. It aspires to real partnerships that drive sustainable development and restore its rightful place within the Arab economic framework.

Accordingly, we call upon this distinguished summit to adopt the following measures:

•    Establish an Arab Fund for the Reconstruction of Yemen, with a primary focus on infrastructure and essential services in liberated areas, to present a compelling model for peace, development, and coexistence.

•    Encourage Arab investment in high-potential sectors such as energy, mining, agriculture, ports, and fisheries.

•    Support Yemen’s inclusion in major Arab economic initiatives, particularly in the realms of food security, trade and digital integration.

Your Majesties, Your Excellencies, Your Highnesses,

Any reform effort undertaken by the Yemeni government will remain at risk unless it is backed by robust support for the restoration of state institutions, deterrence of militias, and eradication of terrorism and chaos. There can be no development in the presence of violence, and no economy or enduring peace under the threat of armed extortion.

The stability of Yemen is a cornerstone of regional security and serves as the first line of defense for collective Arab security. Therefore, I renew my call to all of you to seize this opportunity and engage in this strategic, mutually beneficial investment in the aspirations of the Yemeni people—not merely through supportive rhetoric, but through action—so that we may together author a new chapter of recovery and shared prosperity for the region.

May Allah’s peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you