Authors

Wadhah Al-Awlaqi

Chief Economist at the Sana’a Center

Wadhah Al-Awlaqi has served as the Chief Economist at the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies since 2019. He has over a decade of experience in economic research, analysis, and policy development focused on Yemen. He held several key positions at the Central Bank of Yemen, overseeing strategic planning, financial reporting, budget management, and accounting operations. He holds an MBA in Finance from the prestigious KAIST Business School in South Korea.

Contributions

Supporting Trade Finance in Yemen Amid Uncertainty

February 17, 2026 Policy Briefs
This RYE Policy Brief analyzes the dramatic transformations in Yemen’s trade finance system, focusing on how the fragmentation of the CBY, the wider economic collapse, and escalating de-risking measures by global correspondent banks have paralyzed the Yemeni banking sector’s capacity to finance trade. These factors have disrupted trade flows, raised import costs, and worsened food security.…
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Challenges for Yemen’s Local Governance amid Conflict

July 29, 2018 Policy Briefs
Local councils are among Yemen’s most important state institutions. Responsible for providing basic public services to millions of Yemenis, local councils represent the Yemeni state for much of the population. The intensification of the conflict between the internationally recognized government, its regional backers and the Houthi group since March 2015, however, has heavily impacted…
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