The Deputy Governor of Yemen's Taiz Governorate, Dr. Abdulqawi al-Makhlafi, affirmed that Saudi Arabia is a strategic partner for Yemen, and its role has not been limited to supporting legitimacy politically but has extended to include economic support, humanitarian response, and financing development and reconstruction projects.

In an interview with Okaz, he said that under the difficult economic conditions Yemen is experiencing, Saudi support has had a profound impact on enhancing the ability of state institutions to continue performing their functions and alleviating the suffering of citizens, noting that Saudi support in Taiz Governorate is clearly present through qualitative projects that directly address citizens' needs in the sectors of education, health, roads, energy, and water. This reflects a deep understanding of development priorities and confirms that the relationship between the two countries is based on a true partnership that goes beyond relief support to capacity building and achieving sustainable development. The Deputy Governor of Taiz touched on several important topics:

• How is the situation in Taiz Governorate and its people?

•• Taiz is not just a governorate that faced the war; it represents today a national model of resilience and administration under exceptional circumstances. It has borne double burdens due to the blockade and targeting of infrastructure, and has received large numbers of displaced people, which has placed unprecedented pressure on public services and limited resources. Despite this, the local authority, with support from the Presidential Leadership Council, the government, and regional and international partners, has managed to maintain minimum services and gradually work on restoring state institutions and improving performance in several sectors. We recognize that the scale of needs is still large and that the effects of the war have not ended, but we believe that Taiz has moved from the crisis management phase to a phase of gradual construction, based on the will of its people, state support, and development partnerships that have begun to bear fruit.

Saudi Arabia is a strategic partner for Yemen

• Tell us about Saudi support for Yemen in general and for Taiz Governorate in particular.

•• Saudi Arabia is a strategic partner for Yemen, and its role has not been limited to supporting legitimacy politically but has extended to include economic support, humanitarian response, and financing development and reconstruction projects. Under the difficult economic conditions our country is experiencing, this support has had a profound impact on enhancing the ability of state institutions to continue performing their functions and alleviating the suffering of citizens.

In Taiz Governorate, Saudi support has been clearly present through qualitative projects that directly address citizens' needs in the sectors of education, health, roads, energy, and water. This reflects a deep understanding of development priorities and confirms that the relationship between the two countries is based on a true partnership that goes beyond relief support to capacity building and achieving sustainable development.

• What about the support of the Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction of Yemen and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center for the governorate?

•• The Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction of Yemen is today one of the most important development partners in Taiz Governorate, working according to an integrated development vision targeting the sectors most related to citizens' lives, under the supervision of Ambassador Mohammed Al Jaber, who gives special attention and care to implementing qualitative projects in Taiz.

In education, the College of Medicine project at the University of Taiz is being implemented with all its modern facilities and equipment, along with the establishment of educational complexes and a technical and vocational institute for girls, contributing to the preparation of qualified cadres to meet labor market needs. In the health sector, support includes the establishment of a specialized hospital for cancer treatment to be a teaching and referral hospital, in addition to a rural hospital in Al-Mawasit district, enhancing health services in the city and countryside.

In the roads sector, the program has contributed to the rehabilitation of the Hayjat al-Abd road, a strategic artery linking Taiz to the interim capital Aden. Preparations are also underway to implement other urban road projects, foremost of which is the rehabilitation and maintenance of most of the city's streets linking districts, in addition to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Tourist Road, a vital artery connecting the city to Jabal Sabr and Al-Arous summit, which carries great tourism, economic, and social importance. After its rehabilitation, it will have a direct impact on improving economic activity and tourism revitalization in the governorate.

In the energy sector, the government power station project with a capacity of 50 megawatts is one of the most important strategic projects awaited, as it will restore government electricity service to Taiz city after more than a decade of outage and will be a turning point in improving public services, encouraging investment, and stimulating economic activity.

The program's projects have also extended to Taiz coastal districts through the implementation of road, hospital, and educational institution support projects, reflecting the comprehensiveness of the development vision.

As for the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, it continues to play a pivotal humanitarian role through the implementation of water, health, food security, and shelter projects. Most notably is the water supply support project in Taiz city, which will help alleviate one of the most pressing crises. We view these projects as an investment in the stability of the Yemeni people and the future of the governorate, greatly appreciate this fraternal role, and look forward to expanding areas of cooperation in the coming period.

• What services does the governorate lack, and what helped you face the challenges?

•• Taiz's needs today go beyond temporary solutions and require strategic projects that rebuild infrastructure on sustainable foundations. At the top of these priorities is the government power station project as an entry point for improving various service and economic sectors, along with the seawater desalination project from Mokha to Taiz, which we see as the strategic solution to fundamentally end the water crisis. The governorate also needs to complete road projects, especially the rehabilitation and maintenance of most of the city's streets linking districts, and the rehabilitation of Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Tourist Road linking the city to Jabal Sabr and Al-Arous summit, given its importance in stimulating commercial and tourism activity. Additionally, sewage projects, hospital expansions, and development of educational institutions are needed to match the population density and the economic and scientific role that Taiz plays.

Despite limited resources, what helped us to persevere is the integration of efforts between the local authority and the government, the unlimited fraternal support from Saudi Arabia, the support of donors, and above all the exceptional will of the people of Taiz, who have proven that development can continue even under the most difficult circumstances.

Security situation improvement in Taiz

• What about the security situation in the governorate, and how do you manage it?

•• The security situation in Taiz is witnessing a progressive improvement relative to the circumstances the governorate is experiencing, thanks to continuous coordination between the local authority, the military establishment, and security agencies.

We work on the principle that security and development are two parallel tracks, so we focus on strengthening the rule of law, combating crime, and developing the institutional performance of security agencies, enhancing citizen confidence and providing a stable environment for investment, work, and production.

Despite the proximity of front lines, the governorate has succeeded in maintaining a reasonable degree of stability, and we constantly strive to develop this performance to keep pace with citizens' aspirations.