RIYADH: The seventh batch of an oil derivatives grant provided by Saudi Arabia has arrived in Aden to meet the monthly needs of power stations in Yemen, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

The 60,000 metric tons of diesel, which were delivered by the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen, brings the total amount of oil derivatives that have been supplied since the beginning of the grant to 596,000 metric tons.

Mohammed Nasr Al-Shazly, the undersecretary of Aden, said the Saudi oil derivatives grant has eased the suffering of the Yemeni people and supported the electricity sector, especially in the summer months.

Abdul-Qader Basala, director general of the General Electricity Corp., said the grant has contributed to providing stable and sustainable electricity in various Yemeni governorates. He thanked Saudi Arabia for its continuous support, and the SDRPY for its efforts.

Ahmed Madkhali, SDRPY director in Aden, said the grant has contributed to improving electricity generation and reducing power outages.

He added that many programs and projects have been implemented to develop and improve the operational performance of Yemen’s electricity system.

The Saudi grant aims to supply 1,260,850 metric tons of oil derivatives, at a value of $422 million, to operate more than 80 stations in Yemen for a year.

It comes as an extension of grants of previous Saudi oil derivatives, which amounted to more than $4.2 billion.

This latest grant has contributed to alleviating the burden on the Yemeni government’s budget, limiting the depletion of foreign currency reserves by the Central Bank for the purchase of oil derivatives to generate electricity, stabilizing fuel prices, infrastructure development and improving basic services.

A committee composed of several Yemeni parties, including ministries, is supervising the distribution of the oil derivatives, with the participation of the SDRPY.