An official in Yemen's Houthi-led government has claimed that the Saudi-led coalition and their proxies have "looted" more than $13 billion in Yemeni oil revenues between 2016 and 2021. Abdul Malik Al-Ajri, who is a member of the National Negotiation Delegation said in a tweet yesterday, citing what he said were figures in a report by OAPEC [Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries] and "in addition to our findings through the Marine Traffic website, which specialises in monitoring maritime traffic". Al-Ajri also described the Saudi-based Yemeni government as "mercenaries" who generated the revenues.
Local news website 26sept.net noted that the large amount could have been used to pay the salaries of employees in the de-facto government, reduce the exchange rate and help improve the living standards for Yemenis and alleviate their suffering. The revenues, which account for 80 per cent of the country' general budget could have been invested in Yemen, "instead of being supplied to the National Bank of Saudi Arabia or directed towards personal investments in the countries of Turkey, Egypt and the Gulf", the article said. by MEMO