An assortment of delegates from Marib governorate, as well as NDC members and sheikhs, participated in a meeting on the subject of Marib-related issues and concerns on Wednesday. The meeting was held in an amphitheater adjoining the NDC’s Media Center at Sana’a’s Movenpick Hotel.

For their part, the delegates stated that Marib’s issues and concerns should be placed high atop the NDC’s agenda.

In response, NDC Vice President Sultan Al-Atwani said the NDC was addressing national issues in a comprehensive manner.

“The grievances of all citizens in the country - without exceptions and including Marib - must be on top of the NDC’s agenda,” he said.

Al-Awani continued, “I promise to convey your understandings of Marib’s issues to the NDC Presidential Board. What we can assure the people of Marib about right now is that no one can ignore their issues or their role throughout Yemen’s history.”

Hassan Al-Zayidi, head of the Marib-based Marib Issue Information Committee, said the NDC had ignored Marib’s issues and that citizens from the governorate had staged 11 demonstrations in response.

“Our issue is that some political factions are attempting to use Marib as a staging ground for own politically-motivated battles,” he said.

“In other words, these political groups are seeking to turn Marib into a hotbed of terrorism at the expense of fairness and legality, not to mention the demands of the governorate’s people,” said Al-Zayidi. “Now, we are demanding that the Marib issue be discussed in the same way that other issues are at the NDC.”

Al-Zayidi said the Marib issue shouldn’t be treated merely as a social topic or as a vehicle through which the NDC’s community participation efforts can be enhanced.

“We’ve prepared a vision in relation to our issue. The NDC should address the issue according to our vision since Marib is one of Yemen’s most important cities, particularly from an economic angle,” he said.

He added that Marib makes great contributions to the state budget through oil and gas revenue and that above all, it supplies numerous cities - including the capital city of Sana’a - with electricity.

“If the Marib issue is not addressed fairly, a social movement will emerge,” he said, before warning that “There are real prospects for a looming social movement.”

Yasmin Al-Qadhi, an activist who was among the attendees, said the Marib issue referred to problems which face both the people and the land in the governorate.

“Women in Marib are facing major challenges which we don’t see in other governorates,” she said, adding that almost 80% of women in Marib are illiterate.

“It’s not only about the women; people in general are forced to make do with poor educations and health and security services,” she said.

Al-Qadhi said that successive Yemeni governments had ignored Marib and that now, its people were bringing their issues to light.