Aden (South24) 

The Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) announced on Thursday that it was beginning the transfer of inspection procedures for commercial ships from the Saudi port of Jeddah to the port of Aden in South Yemen, following years of subjecting all ships arriving in Aden to inspection in the port of Jeddah.

The announcement was made during a meeting in Aden headed by PLC member Aidrous Al-Zubaidi and including government officials in the ministries of transport, international planning, civil service, the Chamber of Commerce, and the local authority of the capital, Aden.

الرئيس الزُبيدي يدشن نقل إجراءات تفتيش السفن التجارية من ميناء جدة إلى ميناء عدنhttps://t.co/tIZCwsehJE pic.twitter.com/w42R93GCDN

— المجلس الانتقالي الجنوبي (@STCSouthArabia) December 28, 2023

Al-Zubaidi, who serves as President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), said that the port of Aden is ready to receive all local and international shipping lines. He directed the relevant authorities of the port, the Ministry of Transport, and heads of security to provide facilities to importers traveling through the port of Aden.

He asserted that the transfer of inspection procedures “would enhance the port’s activity and reduce the costs of insurance for goods.”

These measures follow a year of declining sea shipment numbers at the port of Aden in favor of the Hodeidah port, which is controlled by the Houthis in North Yemen. This shift occurred after facilities were provided by Saudi Arabia to the Hodeidah port at the beginning of the year.

Related: Saudi Arabia Grants The «Houthi Militia» a Major Sea Outlet Read 

The port of Aden is one of the most important and oldest ports in the region. Throughout recent years, the port received most of Yemen’s goods, including those consumed by residents in Houthi-controlled areas.

The inspection mechanism for ships heading to the Port of Aden has been in operation at the port of Jeddah since the Saudi-led coalition launched its military operation against the Houthis in 2015, causing higher transportation costs and slower arrival of cargo.