Aden (South24 Center)

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The General Union of South Arabia Tribes in Al-Mahra Governorate rejected what it described as Omani interference in the governorate, calling for details of the electricity interconnection project between Oman’s Dhofar Governorate and Yemen’s Hawf District to be made public.

In a statement issued on Friday, October 16, the union criticized the installation of banners in Hawf thanking the Sultanate of Oman. It said the banners did not represent the people of Al-Mahra, but rather the officials who ordered them to be put up. The union also warned against what it described as practices that undermine Mahra society’s privacy, identity, customs and traditions.

The union’s demands center on the electricity interconnection project. It said the power supplied from Oman was not a free grant, adding that consumers and governorate revenues bear its costs. The union called for the contract, procurement process, costs and revenues to be disclosed. It also cited information that a local intermediary company was making profits from the project, but provided no documents to support the claim.

The interconnection between Dhofar and Hawf began operating in September with an initial capacity of 3 megawatts. Published arrangements also provide for a 5-megawatt supply to Shahan, with capacity for Al-Ghaydah expected to reach up to 50 megawatts at a later stage.

The debate over the project reflects broader sensitivities surrounding Oman’s influence in Al-Mahra, where Muscat has built ties through tribal relationships, aid and economic support.

In this context, a Carnegie study described Sheikh Ali Salem al-Huraizi, a tribal figure from Al-Mahra, as backed by Oman and as having good relations with the Houthi group. The study cited a local tribal source who said that tribal forces affiliated with al-Huraizi received monthly payments of up to 200 Omani rials.

Reuters, citing the 2025 report of the UN Panel of Experts on Yemen, also reported cases of overland smuggling of military components across the Omani border, including parts for drones and missiles. Such information does not, by itself, establish the Omani authorities’ involvement in smuggling. Al-Huraizi’s ties to Ansar Allah likewise do not prove that Oman provides military support to the group.

The union called on tribal and social figures, young people and other community groups to prepare for a public meeting to discuss what it described as interference threatening the governorate’s security and stability. It said it remained in continuous session and had left its options open for escalation.

Authorities in Al-Mahra and Oman had not commented on the statement at the time of publication.