Aden (South24 Center)

The Central Bank of Yemen (CBY) in Aden ordered banks and exchange companies on Wednesday (October 28) to freeze the accounts and assets of six digital payment companies, wallets and services, and prohibit financial and commercial dealings with them, following a decision by the Attorney General to place them on the national terrorism list.

The directive, issued under Circular No. (CBY/A/12/2026), implements Decision No. (20) of 2026, signed by Attorney General Qaher Mustafa Ali on October 27, covering the six digital payment services and their owning or operating entities.

The decision was issued under Yemen's Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Law No. (1) of 2010, as amended in 2013, and followed a request submitted by the CBY governor on October 25.

The list includes WeNet Company and the Wasel inter-wallet service, both identified in the decision as affiliated with the Houthis, as well as Yemen Wallet, operated by the General Authority for Post and Postal Savings in Sanaa.

It also includes mPay (Almutakamila), operated by the Yemeni Integrated Electronic Services Company, linked to the General Corporation for Social Security in Sanaa; Easy Wallet, operated by Tharawat Financial Services and Investment Company; and Saba Cash, operated by Sabafon Telecom in Sanaa.

The circular, signed by Deputy Governor for Banking Supervision Mansour Abdulkarim Rajeh, instructed banks, exchange companies and financial institutions to immediately identify and freeze all accounts, balances, funds and assets belonging to the listed entities, while prohibiting financial and commercial transactions with them.

Financial institutions were also required to submit detailed information on the affected accounts and assets to the Financial Information Unit and the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Department, and report compliance to the central bank within two working days.

The directive took effect immediately and will remain in force until further instructions are issued by the central bank or the relevant judicial authorities.

The latest measures follow an earlier CBY directive issued on October 20, ordering the freezing of assets belonging to 135 Houthi-linked individuals, entities and maritime vessels. That directive implemented Attorney General Decision No. (17) of 2026, issued on October 19, which covered political, military and commercial figures, companies and oil tankers accused by Yemeni authorities of involvement in networks supporting the Houthis.

The central bank had previously banned dealings with 12 unlicensed electronic payment wallets and services in June 2024, including Saba Cash, Yemen Wallet and Almutakamila. The earlier restrictions were based on licensing violations, while the latest measures involve terrorism-related designations and asset freezes.

On October 11, the Yemeni Cabinet approved a draft law designating the Houthis as a terrorist organization and criminalizing their activities and financing, while directing the relevant authorities to complete the constitutional and legal procedures required for its ratification.