Jan 6, 2026, 4:04 p.mJan 6, 2026, 4:04 p.m
According to local reports, hundreds of tourists are stuck on the Yemeni island of Socotra following renewed fighting in Yemen. The flights were recently stopped due to the military clashes in southern Yemen.
Residents reported that some of the visitors had to rent private houses.Image: keystone
Tourist guides on the island in the Arabian Sea reported to the German Press Agency (dpa) that all hotels were fully booked. Residents reported that some of the visitors had to rent private houses. Others ran out of money because they only planned for a few days. Others were accommodated by their tourist guides.
Most shops and hotels there only accept cash. The money transfer infrastructure is very limited and works very slowly, if at all.
Conflict in Yemen
Until now, international flights only went via the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Emirates have actually been allied with Saudi Arabia in the civil war in Yemen for years in the fight against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Recently, however, the UAE has increasingly been pursuing its own interests.
The official government in the civil war country is very weak. Image: keystone
In the newly flared conflict, the actual allies clashed dangerously. Emirati-backed separatists have taken over large areas in recent weeks that also border Saudi Arabia, putting pressure on Riyadh. The official government in the civil war country, which in turn is supported by Saudi Arabia, is very weak, but has now been able to win the areas back for itself.
Flights for the first time now via Saudi Arabia
Yemen’s national airline, Yemenia Airways, has now announced that it will offer direct flights from Socotra to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia for the first time. The first flight was scheduled to take off on Wednesday, an official statement said.
The initial aim is to fly out the stranded tourists. However, the company plans to operate regular weekly flights between Jeddah and Socotra, a spokesman for Yemenia Airways said. It initially remained unclear whether there would be flights over the UAE again in the future.
The island of Socotra has become increasingly popular among tourists in recent years, despite the civil war that has been going on since 2014. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and boasts unique biodiversity. According to UNESCO, 37 percent of the 825 plant species on Socotra and 90 percent of the reptile species occur nowhere else in the world. (sda/dpa)