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Cars 4 Rental Information on Yemen

General Area: 536,869 sq km (207,286 sq miles).

Population: 19,000,000 (official estimate, 2003).

Population Density: 30.0 per sq km

Capital: Sana’a. Population: 1,303,000 (official estimate 2000). Economic & Commercial Capital: Aden. Population: 400,783 (1993).

GEOGRAPHY: The Republic of Yemen is bordered in the northwest, north and northeast by Saudi Arabia, in the east by Oman and in the south by the Gulf of Aden. To the west lies the Red Sea. The islands of Perim and Karam in the southern Red Sea are also part of the Republic. Yemen is predominantly mountainous, supporting terraced agriculture. The Hadramaut is a range of high mountains in the centre of the country. Highlands rise steeply in central Yemen, ranging in height from approximately 200m (656ft) to the 4000m (13,123ft) peak of Jabal Nabi Shauib. In contrast is Tihama, a flat semi-desert coastal plain to the west, 50 to 100km (30 to 60 miles) wide. Surface water flows down from the mountains through the valleys during the rainy season and the area is cultivated for cotton and grain. In the east, the mountains drop away to the Rub al-Khali or ‘Empty Quarter’ of the Arabian Peninsula, a vast sea of sand. The arid coastal plains are fringed with sandy beaches.

Government: Republic since 1990. Head of State: President Ali Abdullah Saleh since 1990. Head of Government: Prime Minister Abdul Kader Bajammal since 2001.

Language: Arabic. English is widely spoken as a second language.

Religion: Sunni Muslim (especially in the north) and Shia Muslim, with some small Christian and Hindu communities. There is also a small Jewish minority.

Time: GMT + 3.

Electricity: 220/230 volts AC, 50Hz.

Communications:

Telephone

IDD is available in parts of the country. Country code: 967. Outgoing international code: 00.

Mobile telephone

GSM 900 network. Operators include Spacetel and Yemen Mobile Phone Company.

Fax

Some hotels have facilities.

Internet

ISPs include TeleYemen (website: www.y.net.ye). There are Internet cafes in Mukalla and Sana’a.

Telegram

Facilities are available. Yemen Telecommunications Company has offices at Steamer Point (24 hours) and at Crater.

Post

Airmail to Western Europe from Sana’a takes about 4 days; mail to and from other towns may take longer. Post office hours: Sat-Thurs 0800-1400 and 1600-2000.

Press

Daily and weekly Arabic newspapers include 14 October, 26 September, Al-Jumhuriaya and Al-Thawra. The Yemen Observer and The Yemen Times are published in English.

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

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Money

Currency: Yemeni Riyal (YR) = 100 fils. Notes are in denominations of YR1000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of 10 and 5 fils.

Currency exchange: Local currency can easily be reconverted.

Credit & debit cards: Cards generally have limited acceptance; American Express and Diners Club are the most widely accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

Travellers cheques: Can be exchanged at some banks and hotels. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in Pounds Sterling.

Currency restrictions: Import and export of local currency up to YR2000 for residents, and prohibited for non-residents. There are no restrictions on the import of foreign currencies but amounts exceeding US$3000 should be declared on arrival. Export of foreign currency is permitted up to the amount imported and declared.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Yemeni Riyal against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date Feb ’03 May ’03 Aug ’03 Nov ’03
£1.00= 283.24 291.50 314.13 302.06
$1.00= 177.89 178.01 178.01 178.01

Banking hours: Sat-Wed 0830-1200, Thurs 0800-1130.

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Health

Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever No 1
Cholera No No
Typhoid and Polio 2 N/A
Malaria 3 N/A

1: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age arriving within 6 days from infected areas.

2: Vaccination against typhoid is advised.

3: Malaria risk, almost exclusively in the malignant falciparum form, exists throughout the year (but mainly from September through February) in the whole country excluding Aden and the airport perimeter. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported. Chloroquine plus proguanil is recommended.

Food & drink: Where mains water is chlorinated it may cause mild abdominal upsets; supplies in Sana’a are said to be safe. Bottled water is available and is advised for the first few weeks of the stay. Drinking water outside main cities and towns is likely to be contaminated and sterilisation is considered essential. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Avoid dairy products that are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.

Other risks: Cutaneous leishmaniasis exists throughout the area and visceral leishmaniasis may occur in the west of Yemen. Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) is present. Avoid swimming and paddling in fresh water; swimming pools which are well chlorinated and maintained are safe. Typhoid fever, dracunculiasis, onchocerciasis and hepatitis A occur; hepatitis B is endemic. The altitude may cause health problems.
Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, see the Health appendix.

Health care: Health care facilities are generally good in major cities, although some drugs are unavailable. The major hospitals in Sana’a are: Al Jumhuriyya, Al Kuwait and Al Thawra. In Aden, there is the Al Jumhuriyya, the Saudi Hospital and the Refinery Hospital. Most large cities have a general hospital. There is no reciprocal health agreement with the UK. Medical insurance is essential.

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Climate

The climate varies according to altitude. The coastal plain is hot and dusty throughout most of the year. The highlands are warm in summer and during winter, from October to March, nights can be very cold in the mountains. Annual rainfall is extremely low and temperatures, particularly in summer, are very high. The most pleasant time is from October to April.
Required clothing: Lightweight clothes are worn in the coastal plain all year. Warmer clothes are needed from November to April in the highlands.

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Passport

Passport Required Visa Required Return Ticket Required
British Yes Yes No
Australian Yes Yes No
Canadian Yes Yes No
USA Yes Yes No
OtherEU Yes Yes No
Japanese Yes Yes No

Restricted entry and transit: The Government of the Republic of Yemen refuses entry and transit facilities to holders of Israeli passports, or holders of passports containing visas valid or expired for Israel or any indication, such as entry or exit stamps, that the holder has visited Israel. Entry is also refused to nationals of Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Sudan and Tunisia if their journey does not originate from their home country.

PASSPORTS: Passport valid for at least six months after date of departure required by all.

VISAS: Required by all except the following:
(a) nationals of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic;
(b) transit passengers continuing their journey by the same or first connecting aircraft, provided holding valid onward or return documentation and not leaving the airport within 48 hours.

Types of visa and cost: Tourist/Visitor (Single-entry): £40. Business: £50 (Single-entry); £120 (six month Multiple-entry); £220 (one year Multiple-entry). Transit: £40.

Validity: Single-entry: two months from date of issue for stays of up to one month; Mutiple-entry: six months or one year from date of issue for stays of up to one month each.

Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy); see Contact Addresses section.

Application requirements: (a) Two completed application forms. (b) Two passport-size photos. (c) Return air ticket. (d) Valid passport. (e) Fee (if applying in the UK, the fee must be paid at a branch of HSBC and proof of payment must be presented with visa application). (f) An airline ticket in and out of Yemen. (g) Stamped, self-addressed envelope for postal applications. (h) For tourist visits, letter from travel company organising the trip. Group travel must be organised through a travel company in Yemen. (i) For business visits, an invitation from the applicant’s company explaining the purpose of the visit and the nature of the business. (j) For multiple-entry visas, a letter from a company in Yemen.

Working days required: Three. If applying by post, processing will normally take five days.

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