NDC Secretary General Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak has said reports $79 million in aid was provided for the National Dialogue Conference (NDC) are exaggerated.

“It has been agreed that the NDC’s budget should not exceed $29 million,” he said in a statement which was posted on the 26th of September website.

“The aid - including $3 million from the UK - will be gradually released under the supervision of donors,” he added.

The NDC Trust Fund Steering Committee is run by the Yemeni government and the United Nations. According to bin Mubarak, its members include donors who have provided huge amounts of aid to the NDC.

“We have cooperated with UNOPS on NDC purchases and employment, and there has been transparency with regard to all NDC spending,” he added.

bin Mubarak also denied reports of a secret meeting  between himself and the director of the Sana’a Gulf Cooperation Council Office, Saad Al-Arifi.

“The reports of a secret meeting between Al-Arifi and I were untrue and what has been said about the GCC apologizing for failing to support the NDC was a rumor,” he said.

“Saudi Arabia gave a generous amount of aid to the NDC last week - $5 million - and that meeting wasn’t secret.”

“At the meeting, Al-Arifi informed us that GCC member states back Yemen’s political transition -all parts of it, and mainly the NDC - and he stressed the importance of spending funds efficiently,” said bin Mubarak.