Below is a summary of the most significant events that have overshadowed the lives of citizens, and badly or positively affected the policies of Yemen. This selection is based on a survey conducted by the Yemen Post which included pressmen, politicians, thinkers, common people, etc.
1-The Gulf 20 Cup of Nations 2010
The Gulf Cup of Nations 2010 took place in Aden city and Abyan in November and December 2010. The tournament was held in Yemen for the first time in the tournament’s history, and this edition celebrated the 40th year anniversary of the cup as well as the 20th anniversary of the tournament.
The opening match was played on November 22, 2010 between the host Yemen and Saudi Arabia in the May 22 Stadium in Aden. Police were deployed on all the city’s main thoroughfares.
The tournament was won by Kuwait for the tenth time in the team’s history against 2-time consecutive second place finishers, Saudi Arabia in a 1–0 score that ended in a 120 minute match.
Observers believe that the launch of the Gulf Cup football tournament is one of the main economic developments in Yemen and said a stable, prosperous Yemen will provide no safe haven for the enemies of peace.
2-Rise in Terrorist Attacks
Yemen has seen an outrageous number of terrorist attacks in 2010 by Al-Qaeda that directed awful blows against foreign convoys and personals. According to experts, the attacks have badly harmed the country’s security and stability. These attacks prompted foreign countries to rank Yemen as insecure and warned their citizens against visiting the country.
On January 03, 2010, the U.S. Embassy in Sana’a closed, prompted by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula threats to attack American interests in Yemen. The British Embassy was closed as well.
On April 26, as 22- year-old Osman Ali Noman Asaloi, wearing an explosive belt, blew himself up and injured three others when the convoy of British ambassador to Yemen Tim Torlot was passing by. Five days later security agencies arrested the masterminds of a botched assassination.
On October 6, Hesham Mohamed Asim was charged in the killing of a French engineer at the OMV oil company and was suspected by the government to be incited by Anwar Al-Awlaki, a US born cleric who was linked by the US government to the Fort Hood shootings and the Christmas Day bombing.
3-Protests in Southern Provinces
Separatist protesters particularly in Aden, Al-Dhale’ and Abyan increased their involvement in riots and violent protests against the national unity. Thus armed conflicts took place when protesters and security forces came face to face. According to economic experts, protests were timed with the launch of the Gulf Cup football tournament in order to harm the Yemen’s economy, security and tourism. A huge Yemeni police presence blocked southern protesters from entering the region’s main city Aden ahead of the launch of the Gulf Cup football tournament.
Another move is that an armed wing of the southern movement arrested security personals as well as officials.
According to local analysts, there have been varied reasons for these protests and demonstrations, from demands for equal distribution of wealth, jobs and high ranking posts to reinstatement to jobs assumed before the 1994 war.
These demonstrations prompted security apparatuses to arrest people thought to motivate these protests in the Southern provinces including Hasan Ba’awm and the arrested leaders were trialed for inciting the sedition and undermining the national unity.

4-Negotiations of Ruling Party and Opposition Stalled
While the ruling party is proceeding in its preparations for the upcoming elections, opposition parties represented by Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) announced their rejection of any works undertaken so far by the elections commission, formed by the ruling party alone.
Two weeks ago, a republican decree was issued and it named the new members of SCER election committee. This came after negotiations between the ruling party, the General People Congress (GPC), and the opposition parties had stalled.
However, opposition parties are going ahead to boycott the elections and considered any act by the field committees and SCER to be illegal and unconstitutional. JMP members were called for protesting against the GPC, something analysts say several problems may take place.
5-Parcel Bombs had Explosive Material
On October 30, security forces in Yemen arrested a female engineer student suspected of posting the bombs found on two cargo jets in Dubai and the UK. However, Al-Qaeda’s Yemen-based branch, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, had taken credit for October’s failed parcel bomb plot against U.S. targets and for an attempt to blow up a U.S. passenger jet last Christmas.
Hanan Al Samawi, Yemeni engineering student who was arrested for allegedly being involved over the thwarted cargo jet bomb plot was released just two days later.
Governments, airlines, and aviation authorities all over the world have reviewed their security policy after the incident. The Yemeni authorities have closed down the local offices of the US cargo firms UPS and FedEx, who have already suspended all shipments out of the country and pledged full co-operation with investigators.
6-Country’s Petroleum Output declining
Yemen’s economy depends heavily on oil production. Yet, analysts said that the country’s petroleum output has declined during the last year and said it will fall to zero by 2017.
They also said that the government has done little to plan for its post-oil future. This trend will exacerbate large and growing environmental problems, including the exhaustion of Yemen’s groundwater resources. Given that a full 90% of the country’s water is used for agriculture, this trend portends disaster.
7-Defusing the Sa’ada Time Bomb
President Saleh announced on February 11 an end to military operations that started on August 11 of last year, after the Houthi rebels accepted the conditions set forth by the government to end the war. Fighting went out as the government announced a one-sided ceasefire but it is more like a pause than an end to the war.
Observers and politicians alike expect new violence in the early months of the coming year as there is no clear agreement between the two sides. Accumulated accusation remains largely unaddressed, tensions run high, skirmishes persist and few principal belligerents appear willing to compromise.
8-Yemen shocked over WikiLeaks Comments
In what could be the first formal move against a high-level official following the recent release of diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks, Yemeni lawmakers questioned the country’s deputy prime minister Rashad Al-Alimi for remarks he apparently made to an American military general David Petraeus to cover up U.S. airstrikes on Al-Qaeda targets inside the country.
Yemeni lawmakers summoned Al-Alimi to specifically explain a comment made by president Saleh in which he admitted to lying to the Yemeni public about the series of U.S. air strikes and Al-Alimi’s own comment that he lied to parliament.
The first strike in December last year, which killed dozens of civilians along with several wanted militants, was at the time presented by Saleh as Yemen’s own work. At this, ِِAl-Alimi interjected, joking that he had just “lied” by telling parliament that Yemeni forces alone had carried out the strikes.
9-Releasing and Kidnapping Cases
More than 200 foreigners have been kidnapped in Yemen over the past decade and used by local tribes as bargaining tools with the government. Most have been released unharmed.
The circumstances of a German-family -couple and their one-year-old son are foggy after the release of their two young girls who were being held hostage in Yemen for 11 months.
On May 2010, tribal gunmen kidnapped two American tourists in Yemen demanding the release of a jailed tribesman. The kidnapping has been claimed by a tribal group and was not believed to be terrorism related. A day after they were kidnapped along with their driver while traveling to Al-Hodeida province, the hostages were relocated to Sana’a and the situation was peacefully resolved.
Yemeni government has recently presented a terrorism and money laundering combating draft law to parliament for final endorsement. The draft law lists acts like highway robbery, kidnapping and money laundering to be acts under terrorism.
According to studies, the kidnapping operations harm the country’s image and give a distorted image about the country and its investment climate and they effect Yemen’s relations with foreign countries.
These operations also force investors to give up plans to invest in the country. This applies to Yemeni expatriates abroad who do not feel secure. The kidnapping operations also affect a significant number of youth working in tourism sector.
10-Stabilizing Rial
Yemen’s currency, which tumbled around 16 per cent in the first seven months of the year, had stabilized but tight management would be required to keep it on the right path.
Economical experts believe that it depends on the fiscal policy and on the security situation, something they say once fiscal policy continues to be appropriate, and then the Rial will remain stable.
The decline in the Yemeni Rial, which hit 250 to the dollar in August, the weakest level in its history, prompted the central bank to intervene numerous times throughout the year. The currency has stabilized at around 215 Rials to the dollar since August.
In May, Yemen’s central bank governor bin Hamam said that Yemen’s security troubles have been hurting the exchange rate. He also said that Yemen had $6.1 billion in reserves then compared to $7 billion a year earlier.