The political parties and organizations in Marib province called on Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council and government to raise wages and salaries and adopt a special budget for the oil-rich Marib to meet the aspirations of the people and the needs of the province.
This statement came in the wake of the widespread public resentment due to the rise in oil prices in Marib.
On December 20, the Yemen Petroleum Company, Marib Branch, announced a new price for petroleum, at 8,000 Yemeni riyals for 20 liters. The previous price was 3,500 Yemeni riyals for 20 liters.
The company stated that this price change came based on Cabinet Resolution No. (3) of 2023 and was approved by the Supreme Economic Council so that economic reforms could be implemented and the state's resources could be enhanced.
The oil price hike has prompted public anger in Marib city, leading to riots, the blocking of roads, and clashes with the security forces in the province.
The statement of the political parties in Marib said, "What Marib province has witnessed certainly confirms that there is a premeditated intention that was and is still seeking ... to create a divide in the internal front, which is what the Houthi coup militia is betting on."
While the statement says it is "natural" that the government decides on the price of oil in Marib, it urged the government to adopt a special budget for the province to meet the demands and aspirations of its population. According to the statement, Marib has "the right to get its share of the oil revenues".
The political parties in Marib also called on "citizens to exercise self-restraint, be patient, not to block roads and provoke riots, and to stay away from anything that disturbs public peace or disrupts security in the governorate."
The Yemeni government has been experiencing financial challenges since October last year when the Houthi drones on oil ports led to a cessation of oil exports.
According to the recent report of the UN Panel of Experts on Yemen, the Government of Yemen is losing about $1.2 billion in revenue per year because of the Houthi drone attacks that targeted the Dabbah oil terminal in October.
Any chaos in Marib city will serve the purpose of the Houthi group, which has attempted since 2015 to take over the province, particularly oil and gas fields.
On November 14, a military source in the government army told Sheba Intelligence that the Houthis have a military priority at this stage of an economic nature, as they have an ambition to control the oil and gas fields in Marib province.
The source indicated that the Houthis had mobilized forces for weeks on the Al-Alam Front and Al-Juba Front to repeat their attempt to seize the Safer oil fields.