The capital, Aden, is home to many important economic and environmental assets that are still neglected, and perhaps the famous “Aden Salts” is the best example. This saltwater, which occupies a large area of ​​the city, which is originally the smallest in area among the governorates, constitutes an important economic and environmental resource, but it suffers from neglect and deterioration, which makes it vulnerable to destruction, in addition to the visual distortion. This distortion is also found in the neglected factories and hotels located in the Aden districts, so the visitor to the capital Aden will watch and his first impression will be the negligence of the leadership of Aden and not the central government. This is why, as the saying goes, work or let the people work. What is meant is the government, of course.

Aden deserves a firm and frank decision from the government to return these assets to their normal place.

 Centralization has caused the economic, environmental and service importance of these assets to be overlooked, even though the country is in desperate need of new revenue sources. It is illogical to import salt from abroad at a time when we own the salts of Aden, or to wait for private hotels to be ready to host foreign delegations while major hotels such as the “Aden” and “Al-Qasr” Hotels... lie neglected.

  Factories also in Aden, which were once a basic pillar of the economy, also deserve to be returned to life, whether by restarting them as they were, or by transforming their production and specialization and taking advantage of their spaces to meet the needs of the local market, instead of relying on imports that drain Hard currency.

Yes, the time has come for Aden to benefit from these assets and present them as investment opportunities for the private sector, and manage them locally. Negotiations can be made between the central and local authorities in Aden, even in percentages...

Currently we see many other governorates managing their sovereign resources, or at least benefiting from a percentage of production, and these resources are still in place and producing, while these assets in Aden, which have strategic and economic importance, have been stopped for years. Everyone knows this situation; So why doesn't Aden manage these assets and restore them to their rightful status?

For the rest of the discussion..

Director General of Economic Development, Aden