Yemen's new PM arrives in Aden for first time

By Shoukry Hussein

ADEN, Yemen

Yemen’s new prime minister, Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, arrived in the southern city of Aden on Tuesday -- along with several other Yemeni government officials -- from Saudi Arabia, according to a government source.

The visit is the first to Aden by the newly-appointed premier since he assumed office on Oct. 15, replacing outgoing PM Ahmed bin Daghr.

“The return of the Yemeni government to Aden comes following an agreement with the Saudi-led coalition on means of securing the government’s presence in the city,” the source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to media.

The prime minister, he added, had returned to Aden on Tuesday -- with several cabinet ministers in tow -- “with a view to taking up his official responsibilities”.

Upon his arrival, the PM told reporters that the government was facing “great difficulties as a result of the country’s deteriorating economic and humanitarian situation”.

"Economic and service reforms, reconstruction, infrastructure repair and normalization of conditions in [Houthi-] liberated areas are at the top of my government’s agenda," Saeed was quoted as saying by Yemen’s official Saba news agency.

He also pledged to repair damaged state institutions and rein in government spending in the upcoming period.

Aden currently serves as the temporary headquarters of the government, members of which were forced to flee Yemen in 2015 after Houthi rebels had overrun much of the country -- including capital Sanaa -- one year earlier.

Since mid-2015, Aden has suffered numerous attacks and bombings targeting security and government buildings, army officers and local religious figures.