ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's government on Saturday announced the completion of an operation to evacuate all foreign tourists stranded on Socotra Island, transferring hundreds of visitors to Saudi Arabia amid recent security tensions in the country's south.
The Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement posted on social media platform X that a total of 609 foreign tourists of various nationalities were evacuated through four special flights arranged in coordination with the Saudi authorities. All evacuees were flown to King Abdulaziz International Airport in the Saudi city of Jeddah, the ministry added.
Meanwhile, Yemeni Minister of Information Muammar al-Eryani announced that regular international flights between Socotra and Jeddah are expected to resume in February, according to Yemen's state-run Saba news agency.
Last week, a security official told Xinhua that hundreds of foreign tourists had been stranded on Socotra, an island province in the Arabian Sea known for its unique biodiversity and pristine landscapes, after flights to and from the archipelago were suspended amid rising tensions and clashes on the mainland.
Tourism operations on Socotra have in recent years been largely managed by foreign companies, many of them linked to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which had previously exerted significant influence over the island before Saudi Arabia assumed a more prominent role.
In December, Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, backed by Saudi Arabia, announced the cancellation of a joint defence agreement with the UAE, ordering the withdrawal of Emirati forces within 24 hours and calling for an end to support for separatist groups.
On Jan. 3, the UAE Ministry of Defence announced that it had completed the withdrawal of all its armed forces from Yemen. ■
