The Houthi rebels disrupted internet service to almost 80 per cent of Yemen on Thursday after damaging a fibre optic cable while fortifying their defences in the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, a telecommunications source said.
Yemeni forces say the rebels have used a military pause from the Arab Coalition – including Saudi Arabia and the UAE – to strengthen their position ahead of a possible battle for central Hodeidah.
The internet outages came a day after UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths left Sanaa, the Houthi-held capital, after talks with the rebels.
Mr Griffiths was due later Thursday to brief the UN Security Council on his meetings and the prospects for any peace deal.
The internet outage added to already weak communications across Yemen.
"The cable that connects the country to the internet was cut in three places in the districts of Al Kanawes and Al Marawya in Hodeidah as the Houthi militia continues to dig trenches in the area," a source from the Public Telecommunication Corporation told The National.
"Many users all over the country have been affected by this, but we assure our clients that we have dispatched three technician teams to repair the cable. We hope it is resolved as soon as possible."
The Houthis control the internet service in Yemen, but the disruption came as the government launched a new internet company, Aden Net, in the city of Aden, to start providing services, including 4G, at the end of July.
Read more: New UAE-funded internet service in Yemen, government says
"This is a step with the purpose of stopping the Houthi militias' control of the only service provider [at the moment], Yemen Net, in [rebel-held] Sanaa," Lutfi Bashreef, the telecommunications minister, said.
"The rebels impose bans on social media networks and slow down the speed of the already weakened internet service, and this comes amid reports they intend to soon cut off the internet completely to cover their crimes."
Mr Bashreef said that the Iran-backed group is making "more than 100 billion Yemeni rials (Dh1.5m)" from the internet which, he added, go towards a "War Effort" fund.
Abdulbaset Al Faqeeh, of the Aden telecommunication authority, said that Aden Net will be supported by the UAE.
"The new internet company is fully backed by the UAE, and it will a setback for the Houthi militias, who will lose control over the internet in Yemen, along with millions of dollars," he told The National.
"We have already finished connecting the cable from the sea, and this will be considered a new victory for Yemen, which will provide clients with the best possible service."
Hodeidah is a critical lifeline for Yemen.
Earlier this week the Arab Coalition said that the port – the route through which 70 per cent of commercial imports enter the country – was still operating and that a further five ships had docked there on Tuesday, with six others waiting in the vicinity.
Pro-government forces have demanded an unconditional Houthi withdrawal from the port and the city, but so far the Iran-backed rebels have refused, offering only to cede administration of the port.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
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Fight card
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Three trading apps to try
Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:
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Biography
Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day
Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour
Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour
Best vacation: Returning home to China
Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument
Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes
Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
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Favourite book: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Favourite holiday destination: Spain
Favourite film: Bohemian Rhapsody
Favourite place to visit in the UAE: The beach or Satwa
Children: Stepdaughter Tyler 27, daughter Quito 22 and son Dali 19
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
