Minister of Planning Discusses Strengthening Partnership and Supporting the National Plan for Development and Stability with UK Minister of State

[18/05/2026 05:10] 
London - Saba

The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Dr Afrah Al-Zuba, today discussed in 
the British capital, London, with the UK Minister of State for Development 
Baroness Jenny Chapman, aspects of existing cooperation between the two countries and ways to strengthen 
the bilateral partnership in the coming period.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of the Global Partnerships Conference scheduled for 19 and 20 
May, a number of issues relating to supporting development and stability in Yemen,
foremost among them the importance of redirecting support towards development aspects and building institutional resilience,
as well as strengthening the capacities of national institutions and enabling them to fulfil their role in
implementing government programmes and plans.

In the presence of Yemen’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Dr Yassin 
Said Noman, and the Director of the Yemen, Syria and Iraq Office at the UK Department for Foreign, Commonwealth 
and Development, Kelly Hall, the two sides also discussed the importance of preparing a comprehensive national plan based on the principle
 national ownership and developed in a participatory manner from the bottom up, thereby enhancing
 the effectiveness of development interventions and ensuring their alignment with the priorities and needs of Yemeni society,
as well as the importance of supporting the private sector, essential services and social protection programmes,
and providing the necessary technical support to achieve these objectives.

The Minister of Planning praised the UK’s continued support for Yemen, describing it as 
strategic support… emphasising the standing the United Kingdom enjoys among the 
Yemeni people for its support for development and stability… and recalling the 
UK’s historic role in supporting donor conferences for Yemen.

Dr Afrah Al-Zuba affirmed that the directives of His Excellency the President of the Presidential Leadership Council, 
Dr Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, and the Prime Minister, Dr Shae’ Al-Zandani, 
focus on enhancing the efficiency of government institutions, building their institutional capacity and improving 
their performance.. She explained that the government is working on preparing its plans for the next phase, shifting 
the focus from emergency response to sustainable development pathways and building resilience.

The Minister reviewed the institutional assessment of the Ministry carried out with British support, 
and the ongoing efforts to strengthen the Ministry’s capabilities based on the outcomes of that 
assessment.. She emphasised the importance of continued support aimed at strengthening national institutions and enhancing 
their efficiency.

For her part, the British Minister of State affirmed her country’s commitment to continuing its support for 
Yemen, praising the presence of Yemeni women in leadership positions and emphasising the importance of 
a clearly defined national plan, as well as the UK’s readiness to support coordination efforts 
to prepare it and to continue highlighting the Yemeni issue in various international forums.

The meeting highlighted the importance of the UK’s role in coordinating with international institutions and partners 
to support the Yemeni government’s efforts, and the continuation of development support for Yemen given
 the regional and international significance of its stability, as well as the need to coordinate 
donor efforts to meet development needs and address the effects of declining international funding.

In a related development, the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation held a technical meeting at the headquarters of 
the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office with the Director of the Yemen and Syria
 , Kelly Hall, during which they discussed aspects of bilateral cooperation and the UK’s role 
in coordinating with international partners to support stability and development in Yemen, 
and to support the government’s priorities during the current phase.