Desert Sky News – Mukalla | 16/07/2026
Al-MUKALLA – The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Engineer Mutee Dammaj, conducted separate visits today in Mukalla to review the conditions of the Culture and Tourism Offices, the branch of the General Authority for Antiquities and Museums on the Hadhramaut Coast, Al-Mukalla Museum, and the Balfaqeeh Cultural Center.
Accompanied by Mr. Hassan Al-Jilani, Deputy Governor of Hadhramaut for Coastal and Plateau Districts, the Minister was briefed by Ms. Abeer Al-Hadhrami, Deputy Governor for Women’s Affairs, and Mr. Majdi Bashadi, Director of the Tourism Office on the Hadhramaut Coast, on the workflow in both offices. They discussed efforts made in implementing cultural and tourism activities, the main challenges facing operations and event delivery, and potential solutions to advance both the cultural and tourism sectors on the Hadhramaut Coast.
Dammaj stressed the importance of doubling efforts to activate and enhance cultural and tourism aspects, programs, and accompanying events — foremost among them the activities of the Al-Balad Tourism Season Festival. He also highlighted the need to care for creative talents, and praised the growing cultural and tourism activities in the governorate. He commended the local authority leadership in Hadhramaut for its support to the culture and tourism sectors.
The Minister affirmed the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with the local authority in Hadhramaut to contribute to advancing cultural institutions, boosting tourism, and preserving the rich cultural heritage of Hadhramaut. He called on the Directors of the Culture and Tourism Offices on the Hadhramaut Coast to submit a proposal for organizing a Yemeni Singing Festival in Hadhramaut, bringing together artists from across the governorates and including honoring pioneers and creatives.
During his visit to the Balfaqeeh Center affiliated with the Culture Office on the Hadhramaut Coast, Minister Dammaj toured its departments, halls, and facilities. He also reviewed ongoing rehabilitation and restoration works aimed at restoring the center’s status as one of Hadhramaut’s leading cultural and administrative landmarks.
In the same context, the Minister was briefed by Dr. Mohammed Hussein, Director of the General Authority for Antiquities and Museums branch on the Hadhramaut Coast, on the workflow at the Authority. He then toured the halls of Al-Mukalla Museum in Al-Qaiti Sultan Palace. The Museum Curator, Mr. Nasser Bani, explained the contents of the museum’s first floor, which houses archaeological and heritage artifacts documenting Hadhramaut’s history and cultural heritage, as well as the second floor which includes the Sultanate Wing with items from the Qaiti Sultanate era in Hadhramaut.
The Minister also listened to Dr. Abdullah Ba Ghamian, Executive Director of Doan Architecture Foundation, on the ongoing restoration and rehabilitation works in the western wing of Al-Qaiti Sultan Palace, supported by UNESCO and implemented by Doan Architecture Foundation.
In a related event, the Minister of Culture and Tourism participated today in a honoring ceremony for pioneers in the Arts Zone in Mukalla, organized by the Hadhramaut Foundation for Culture. Dr. Ahmed bin Obaidun and poet Salem bin Salman were honored in recognition of their significant contributions to enriching the Hadhrami and Yemeni cultural scene.
Minister Dammaj stated: “Honoring pioneers comes as appreciation and elevation of literature, culture, and thought, and of the role of the word in founding the growth and development of societies. History often immortalizes writers and thinkers.” He expressed the Ministry’s happiness with this good initiative by the Hadhramaut Foundation for Culture.
For his part, Dr. Murad Baalawi, Assistant Deputy Governor of Hadhramaut for Youth and Civil Society Organizations Affairs, affirmed the local authority’s keenness to revive this cultural initiative that enhances the status of writers and authors.
Ms. Shurooq Al-Ramadi, Executive Director General of the Hadhramaut Foundation for Culture, explained that the Pioneers Honoring Project aims to honor two pioneers from Hadhramaut annually. It represents the Foundation’s vision to celebrate those who dedicated their lives to writing and creativity through the programs and projects of its Literature Department.
The ceremony included a poem recited by poet Salem bin Salman, a speech by Dr. Ahmed bin Obaidun, and the screening of two documentaries documenting the honorees’ journeys.
Desert Sky Travel welcomes this comprehensive field tour. Investing in museums, cultural centers, and heritage restoration — like at Al-Qaiti Palace and Balfaqeeh Center — alongside proposing a Yemeni Singing Festival, shows a clear strategy to make Mukalla a year-round cultural destination. Preserving Hadhramaut’s heritage while celebrating its creators strengthens the link between the coast’s cultural tourism and Socotra’s natural tourism, offering visitors a fuller picture of Yemen’s identity.
