President Hadi meets US press team

President Abdu Rabbo Mansour Hadi on Wednesday said that Yemen has a water crisis, and Yemen is not alone in this crisis, but perhaps the whole region of the Arabian Peninsula. Yemen has large quantities of water in Masila area of Hadramout province and in the joint desert with Saudi Arabia of Rub' al Khali "the empty quarter", the President replied to questions of an American press team headed by journalist Thomas Friedman. There are indications that after few years, the waters of the Red Sea will be no longer usable for desalination as a result of environmental changes, oil and repeated desalination since a long time, he said. "Therefore, the strategic alternative for water desalination for the Arabian Peninsula will be the Arabian Sea and will cover the region's need. However, this is a big project and needs huge potentials," Hadi said. Besides water shortage, the American press team asked President Hadi a number of questions on some of issues, including and the progress of political settlement based on the Gulf initiative and Yemen's development. He said that the needs of Yemen are still the same during since fifty years ago until today, which are water, electricity, public health, education and roads. "Wherever you go, these are the Yemenis' demands and still did not meet until today", Hadi said, expressing hopes that there is a possibility to do something in this regard. Regarding the environment, the President said "I have never been known an Arab leader, who cares about the environment." The president touched on the scourge of terrorism and its serious damage to the national economy at various areas. "Big hotels are closed, tens of thousands of tourism workers are now jobless and some oil and gas companies feared terrorism, despite our ability to protect them. That is normal. Capitals are sometimes afraid of any concerns." Hadi also reviewed the risks Yemen has encountered since the 2011 crisis, topped by the division in the military, security and governmental institutions and the accompanied violence. He also talked about many issues and the decisions he has made to succeed the political settlement under the Gulf initiative, including the national dialogue, saying the meeting of hundreds of debaters at the dialogue table rejecting revenge and searching for possible solutions was a miracle. Famous American journalist Thomas Friedman expressed great admiration for the President's way of dealing and his measures and decisions to overcome the crisis. "You are Yemen's Mandela. … People have forgiven under your leadership." Friedman accented that he will visit the headquarters of the national dialogue, saying I will express my admiration of this style and this achievement to the whole world."