The Saudi investment has topped the list of foreign investment projects in Yemen during the first half of 2009, a report issued by the General Investment Authority (GIA) says.?? The report said that the foreign investment projects registered in the GIA have reached 12 projects with a total cost of over YR91 billion.??Saudi investments ranked the first with four projects in the industrial and service sectors at a cost of YR 4.1 billion, providing 832 job opportunities.??Kuwait came second with three projects costing nearly YR 4 billion in industrial, tourist and agricultural areas and provide 241 jobs.??Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan were all in the third position in the foreign investment lists with two projects for each. Meanwhile, the government has agreed with the United Nations on carrying out a comprehensive program for economic diversity and upgrading the promising sectors. Deputy Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Hisham Sharaf told the weekly Sept. 26 the agreement signed last Wednesday in Sana'a with a UN Development Program (UNDP) would be followed by practical procedures to promote the promising economic sectors.??The program that cost $13 million would promote the sectors of agriculture, tourism, fishery and industry, Sharaf said.?? The program, the first of its kind as Sharaf said, would be implemented by the concerned ministries under the supervision of the ministers themselves.?? The program will assist in setting up and applying policies and strategies to create new sustainable job opportunities in such sectors.?? A statement issued by the UN said that the program will prop up the government's efforts to create investment environment capable to strengthen the private sector and provide job opportunities to increase the people's income.
