UAE’s dominance of telecommunications sector in southern Yemen comes into effect
SANAA, June 13 (YPA) – Abu Dhabi is working on a number of projects with a separatist dimension in southern Yemen, in addition to the steps the UAE is taking on the ground to separate southern Yemen from its north.
Among these projects is the establishment of the UAE telecommunications company “NX” in the areas controlled by the Saudi-led coalition, which the UAE is strongly pressing to accelerate the completion of its agreement through the son of the president of “the Leadership Council,” Khaled Rashad Al-Alimi, who is currently in the UAE and exerts pressure on the “governmental” team concerned with completing the deal, according to the “Hona Aden” website.
Al-Alimi’s son is pressing to impose all the terms of the Emirati company, away from any entitlements of the government loyal to the coalition.
According to the agreement, the Emirati company will receive 70 percent of the “Aden Net” telecom company, acquire the Aden Gate for international telecommunications and the International Access Gateway to the Internet, and use this portal to connect all telecom operators to the Internet.
From the point of view of political activists, it seems that the issue of empowering the Emirati telecom company, NX, goes beyond just monopolizing the telecommunications sector in the Yemeni areas under the control of the coalition. They pointed out that the issue is related to more serious dimensions, through which Abu Dhabi seeks to impose a new identity for the telecommunications sector with the aim of separating southern Yemen from any joint dealings with the north.
This comes less than one month after a decision was taken by the pro-coalition government to stop any maintenance and modernization work for the “Yemen Mobile” telecom network, which is the largest company that brings together Yemenis nationwide and in which the state owns most of its shares.
The website suggested that Rashad Al-Alimi’s support for the agreement to establish the Emirates telecommunications company was attributed to his son Khaled’s entry into the matter, noting the news that Al-Alimi’s sons were partners in the deal.
It seems that the issue of handing over the telecommunications file to the Emirati company NX was one of the most important goals of Al-Alimi’s recent visit to Abu Dhabi, during which he met with Mohammed bin Zayed, President of the UAE, and Al-Alimi’s son’s movements to the UAE came after this visit.
Observers believe that the UAE is investing in the southern and eastern provinces through this project, which aims to acquire resources such as telecommunications and impose its hegemony by controlling citizens’ data.
Some are wondering why the Emirati company NX decided to invest in Aden, despite all the failures faced by companies in the areas controlled by the coalition, of which the telecommunications companies were the most prominent victims, such as the “Yemeni Omani Telecommunications” company, which was prevented from operating in Aden despite fulfilling all legal requirements. This was considered by observers as steps to clear the way for the Emirati company to operate in these areas and to fully acquire the telecommunications file that the UAE seeks in southern Yemen.
YPA