Yemen Country & Tourist Information

Location
Middle East, Arabian Peninsula.

Area
536,869 sq km (207,286 sq miles).

Population
21.5 million (UN, 2005).

Population Density
40.04 per sq km

Capital
Sana’a.
Population: 1 million (2005 estimate).

Government
Republic since 1990. 
Recent history: In April 2003, at the most recent election for the House of Representatives, the General People’s Congress (GPC) took an overall majority with 238 seats; most of the remainder were taken by Al-Islah. President Ali Abdullah Saleh was re-elected to a further seven-year term in the September 2006 presidential elections (despite previously declaring he would not run), winning 77% of the vote. It was, however, the first time he had faced a serious challenge at the polls. His main rival, Faisal al-Shamlan, gained 21.8% of the vote.

Language
Arabic. English is widely spoken as a second language.

Religion
Sunni Muslim (especially in the north) and Shia Muslim, with some small Christian and Hindu communities. There is also a small Jewish minority.

Time
GMT + 3.

Electricity
220/230 volts AC, 50Hz.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Abd-al-Qadir Abd-al-Rahman Ba-Jammal since 2001.

Head of State
President Ali Abdullah Saleh since 1990.

Telephone
Country code: 967. IDD is available in parts of the country.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone operators. Coverage is good in the west and in coastal areas of the east.

Internet
There are Internet cafes throughout Yemen.

Media
All broadcasting is controlled by the Ministry of Information through the Public Corporation for Radio and Television. The Ministry also funds some newspapers and retains a tight control over the press. TV and radio stations from Oman and Saudi Arabia are available.


Post
Airmail to Western Europe from Sana’a takes about four days; mail to and from other towns may take longer. Post office hours: Sat-Thurs 0800-1400 and 1600-2000.

Press
Daily and weekly Arabic newspapers include 26 September, Al-Jumhuriaya and Al-Thawra. The Yemen Observer and The Yemen Times are published in English.

Radio
Republic of Yemen Radio is also state-run, and operates two stations.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.

2007
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
20 Jan Muharram (Islamic New Year).
31 Mar Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet).
1 May Labor Day.
22 May National Unity Day.
26 Sep Revolution Day.
13 Oct Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
14 Oct National Day.
30 Nov Independence Day.
20 Dec Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day. 
10 Jan Muharram (Islamic New Year). 
20 Mar Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet).
1 May Labor Day.
22 May National Unity Day.
26 Sep Revolution Day. 
2 Oct Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
14 Oct National Day.
30 Nov Independence Day. 
9 Dec Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).
29 Dec Muharram (Islamic New Year).

Note
Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region.

Contact Information:

Yemen Tourism Promotion Board
Al-hassabah, PO Box 5607, Sana’a, Yemen
Tel: (1) 251 033 or 251 035/6/7.
Website: www.yementourism.com

Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in the UK
57 Cromwell Road, London SW7 2ED, UK
Tel: (020) 7584 6607 or 7581 4039 (consular section).
Website: www.yemenembassy.org.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1600; 0900-1400 (visa section).

Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in the USA
2319 Wyoming Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 965 4760.
Website: www.yemenembassy.org


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