Masam: Saudi project clears Houthi land mines in a land where ‘every step might kill you’

Ousama Al-Gosaibi, managing director of Masam project, says they work on emergency response after identifying the locations of mines in freed areas. (Supplied)
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Updated 03 April 2023
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Masam: Saudi project clears Houthi land mines in a land where ‘every step might kill you’

  • Deadly harvest as 400,000 militia mines turn Yemen’s agricultural land into minefields

RIYADH: Yemen is known for its fertile farmland, and its agricultural sector is among the most productive in Yemen’s national economy.

However, since the Houthi uprising in Yemen in 2014, the country has become known for a completely different type of planting — mine planting — causing the death of civilians and innocent victims.

Saudi Arabia has committed to protecting Yemeni civilians by launching the Masam project for land mine clearance in Yemen.

The humanitarian initiative helps Yemenis remove the threat of mines, explosive devices and unexploded munitions, which claim the lives of many innocent civilians, including children, women and the elderly, in various Yemeni regions and villages.

The Masam project was launched in mid-June 2018 under the umbrella of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center.

Land mine clearance is achieved through Saudi expertise, as well as international experts and Yemeni cadres trained in mine clearance techniques.

The project helps Yemenis avoid the tragedies that result from the spread of mines and explosive devices in all Yemeni governorates, allowing them to live peacefully and also build the Yemeni capabilities in mine clearance.

Ousama Al-Gosaibi, managing director of the project, said: “The project works on emergency response after identifying the locations of mines in freed areas. This is achieved by developing and preparing plans that help trained teams with the clearance process, despite the lack of maps that identify the locations of mines, which constitutes a significant challenge for the team and is also one of the Houthis’ war crimes.

“Besides removing the mines, the project also works on destroying them to ensure that they are not used again. The team seeks to update its capabilities and develop its land mine clearance techniques, although the Houthi militia insists on developing its own techniques to target as many civilians as possible.”

Al-Gosaibi added: “Since mid-2018, land mine clearance teams have removed 390,586 mines in freed Yemeni regions, distributed as follows: 6,065 prohibited anti-personnel mines, 137,197 anti-tank mines, 7,741 explosive devices, and 239,583 unexploded munitions that were deactivated.”

He said: “We have witnessed new Houthi tricks in planting and manufacturing mines, as well as new techniques, huge quantities and significant numbers not recorded since the Second World War.”

The Houthis are adopting a brutal approach in planting huge quantities of mines and explosives near schools, healthcare facilities and water tanks, Al-Gosaibi said.

Mine clearance in Yemen is a lengthy process, requiring years, because of the large number of devices and the lack of maps identifying their location, he said.

“The Houthis are still planting thousands of mines in Yemen,” Al-Gosaibi added.

The project’s engineering teams handle all recognizable land mines, in addition to mines made locally by the militias in their own factories.

These devices account for 85 percent of the total number of deactivated mines and are among the most dangerous, as they are designed to explode under minimum pressure.

Teams also handle explosive devices developed and camouflaged by the militias in the form of stones, reinforced concrete, and other familiar and deceptive shapes.

“What worries us the most today is the rapid spread of new land mines that are locally manufactured by the Houthis,” Al-Gosaibi said.

“Imagine stumbling on an anti-tank land mine that has been transformed into an anti-personnel mine on your way back from your land. Imagine targeting a classroom with explosives. This is the harsh reality of living in Yemen today; every step might kill you.

“What is sad is that these explosives don’t differentiate between people. Thousands of Yemenis die or lose limbs every year, and this is why the Masam project works relentlessly on eliminating the threat of land mines in Yemen. In order to ensure Yemen’s ability to rebuild safely, we train and oversee local deminers, who are risking their lives to help others.”

Al-Gosaibi said the project has trained 32 engineering teams, which have been provided with the latest technologies in mine detection. The Masam project also includes over 550 experts, deminers and employees working on the ground.

Somaya Al-Mahmoud, the project’s director of public relations and media affairs, said: “Many civilians have been victims of mines. There are many moving stories that evoke the suffering of a population still facing a silent danger that is permanently threatening their lives. The number of mines in Yemen today exceeds that of any other country in the world.”




Somaya Al-Mahmoud, Project Masam’s director of public relations and media affairs. (Supplied)

Al-Mahmoud said that according to a UN study, planting one mine costs between $10 and $20, while removing it costs between $500 and $1,000.

Figures from mid-June 2018 to March 2023:

Masam project engineering teams were able to remove 390,586 mines, unexploded munitions and explosive devices:

239,583 unexploded munitions

7,741 explosive devices

137,197 anti-tank mines

6,065 anti-personnel mines

Total spent on the land mine clearance project in Yemen so far exceeds $167 million.


Turaif traces historical, cultural mosaic to pre-Islamic era

Updated 03 July 2025
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Turaif traces historical, cultural mosaic to pre-Islamic era

  • Evidence of Stone Age settlements in the region
  • Has Tapline, Kingdom’s first industrial heritage site

TURAIF: Located in Saudi Arabia’s Northern Borders region, Turaif governorate stands as a crossroads of ancient civilizations and a gateway to Iraq and the Levant.

The governorate is home to a range of rich cultural and heritage sites, many of which date back to pre-Islamic times.

Heritage Commission sign board at the archaeological site of Qasr Duqrah, located 40 kilometers southwest of Turaif governorate. (SPA)

Among the most prominent heritage landmarks is the archaeological site of Qasr Duqrah, situated 40 km southwest of the governorate.

Adjacent to it lies a mountain known as Aqran, also referred to as Duqrah Mount, which has been recorded under the Comprehensive Archaeological Survey Program.

Zahi Al-Khalawi, a member of the Saudi Historical Society, said the site is among the Kingdom’s most significant archaeological locations because there is evidence of human settlements dating to the Stone Age.

He said habitation at the site continued through the later Roman period (2 to 6 centuries C.E.) and persisted into the Umayyad era (661 to 750 C.E.).

Another landmark is the Trans-Arabian Pipeline, or Tapline, one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant industrial heritage sites.

The pipeline stretches from the east of the Kingdom to its north, passing through Turaif, and has been registered in the National Industrial Heritage Register.

Known as the Tapline, this oil pipeline stretches from eastern Saudi Arabia to the northwest, passing through Turaif. (SPA)

It is the first documented industrial heritage site in the Kingdom, representing the early stages of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry and its developmental and economic significance.

Also noteworthy is the culturally significant site of Qaru Turaif, a water source developed by the Tapline Co. in the 1950s to help settle nomadic communities by order of the late King Abdulaziz.

To the east of Turaif, about 25 km away, stands Jabal Umm Waal, a historic landmark and northern gateway into the Arabian Peninsula.

The mountain tells the stories of Bedouin life and the passage of trade caravans and pilgrims traveling from the Levant and Iraq. For centuries, it served as a safe route for travelers making their way southward.

 


Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli minister’s call for sovereignty over occupied West Bank

Updated 02 July 2025
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Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli minister’s call for sovereignty over occupied West Bank

  • Kingdom’s foreign ministry said the move would violate international laws

RIYADH: A government minister’s threat for Israel to apply full sovereignty over the occupied West Bank was strongly condemned by Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Kingdom “condemned and denunciated” the statement made by the Israeli official calling for the imposition of sovereignty over the Palestinian territory.

Such action would be a violation of international law, the statement said. Saudi Arabia rejects any attempts to expand settlements on Palestinian land, the ministry added, while reiterating the Kingdom’s position on the importance of Israel abiding by international resolutions.

The statement followed comments from Israel’s Justice Minister Yariv Levin saying “the time has come” for Israel to apply sovereignty across the West Bank.

Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967 and has built dozens of settlements, deemed illegal under international law, across the territory.

The Saudi foreign ministry offered its support for the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate rights and in establishing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

 


Saudi ministry recalls faulty chargers over fire risk

Updated 02 July 2025
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Saudi ministry recalls faulty chargers over fire risk

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce has announced the recall of 88,518 Anker portable chargers across multiple models due to a potential internal electrical short circuit that may cause overheating and pose a fire risk.

The ministry urged consumers to immediately stop using the affected products and contact Anker at the toll-free number 8008500030 to arrange a replacement or full refund, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Consumers can check if their device is included in the recall and start the replacement or refund process by visiting anker.com/mmrc2506.

Users are also advised to verify the model number of their charger against the list of affected products on the Defective Products Recall Center website ecalls.sa.

The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to consumer safety and stressed the importance of promptly addressing product defects to prevent potential hazards.


GCC passports departments chiefs hold meeting

Updated 02 July 2025
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GCC passports departments chiefs hold meeting

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi participated in the 39th Meeting of the Directors-General of Passports of the GCC countries, held on Wednesday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh.

During the meeting, he reviewed the latest developments, including the Gulf visa project.

The passport departments of the interior ministries of GCC countries, through a series of joint meetings, are making efforts to launch a unified tourist visa project in the near future, the General Secretariat said in a report.

“Everyone is working as one team to keep pace with technological developments and security requirements in a world characterised by rapid change,” Albudaiwi said.


Saudi FM discusses regional developments in call with US secretary of state

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone call with his US counterpart State Marco Rubio on Wednesday. (AFP)
Updated 02 July 2025
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Saudi FM discusses regional developments in call with US secretary of state

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone call with his US counterpart Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday, Saudi Press Agency reported. 

During the call, Prince Faisal and Rubio reviewed US-Saudi relations and ways to enhance the strategic partnership between their countries. The latest regional and international developments were also discussed.