Despite being the poorest nation in the otherwise wealthy Arabian Peninsula, the press in Yemen is one of the region’s most vibrant, socially critical and politically engaged. The Yemeni newspapers have typically limited resources and cater to a limited and far from wealthy readership; illiteracy is widespread (especially among women) while the distribution of newspapers is confined to the cities in a country where the majority of the population still lives in the countryside.

As in most Arab countries the official newspapers dominate the media scene. State sponsorship secures the official newspapers considerable resources, guaranteeing them the widest distribution and the most impressive lay out. This relegates most independent and oppositional newspapers to limited weekly issues, which for the most are available only in major cities.

Language: Arabic
Established: 1982
Published weekly

The official organ of the army, and a staunchly pro-government newspaper, where the activities and the “instructions” of the President Ali Abdallah Saleh (an officer himself) are extensively covered.

Website: http://www.26september.info

Language: Arabic
Established: 1958
Published daily

An independent daily founded, owned and edited by the Bashirahil family company. It is the oldest still running daily of Yemen,  based in Aden, the capital of the south. It provides an all-around coverage of the political scene, mostly uncritical, combined with a sharper criticism of the deficiencies of the governmental and local administration. Al Ayyam‘s socialist sympathies are reflected in its surprisingly good coverage of everyday stories relating to social issues of poverty, homelessness etc.

Website: http://www.al-ayyam.info
 

Language: Arabic
Established: 1962
Published daily

One of the many pro-government newspapers, which  delivers uncritical coverage of the activities of the President, the government and the ruling party. Al Gomhuryah is based in Yemen’s economic capital, Ta’iz, and provides mediocre journalism and almost no editorials. On the other hand,  Al Gomhuryah delivers an insightful and engaged coverage of social issues and human rights in its section “The Human Being”.

Website: http://www.algomhuryah.net/
 

Language: Arabic
Established: 1985
Published weekly

The official organ of the Islamic Islah party, the largest faction of the opposition. Al Sahwa’s headlines are a good barometer of the ups and downs in the relations between the ruling party and the assembled opposition.

Website: http://www.alsahwa.ye.net
 

Language: English
Established: 1996
Published weekly

The competitor of The Yemen Times for the status as the main provider of information and analysis to the expatriate community, The Yemen Observer succeeded in securing a special position on the Yemeni media scene when its editor-in-chief at the time, Mohammed Al Asaadi, dared to reproduce the famous Danish Cartoons on its front page. The Yemen Observer was suspended for three months and Al Asaadi was arrested, which triggered a national and international wave of protests. The Yemen Observer has a special feature, Panorama, which reproduces a selection of editorials from Yemeni Arabic newspapers. They also have a web version in Arabic on www.yemenobserver.net.

Website: http://www.yobserver.com
 

Language: English
Established: 1991
Published bi-weekly

The Yemen Times has long been the main source of information to the outside world on national politics and the social and economic development of Yemen. It provides an informed coverage of national politics, though it does not excel in sharp analysis or courageous editorials. It has also assumed an increasingly outspoken critique of the government�s policies. A special feature of The Yemen Times is a review in English of the leading Arabic Yemeni newspapers.

Website: http://www.yementimes.com