Al Ghaydah () is the capital city of

Al Mahrah Governorate Al Mahrah ( '), or simply Mahra, is a governorate ('' muhafazah'') of Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Situated in the area of the former Mahra Sultanate, its capital is Al Ghaydah. It has international borders with Oman. ...

in south-eastern

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

. It is one of the easternmost cities in the country, located near Yemen's border with

Oman Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...

History

Civil war

Al Ghaydah has been relatively unscathed during the Yemeni Civil War, and as a result has become a destination for many internally displaced persons fleeing the fighting. As part of its involvement in the civil war, Saudi Arabia has stationed its 123rd Infantry Brigade security unit in Al-Ghaydah. In 2017, the Saudi-Emirati coalition seized Al Ghaydah Airport, but handed it back to civil authorities in 2018 following protests. Saudi Arabia's stated reason for stationing troops at the airport was to combat smuggling. As of 2018, the coalition controlled much of the territory in Al Mahrah Governorate. According to

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...

, Saudi forces administer an informal detention center in Al Ghaydah's airport, where they have tortured prisoners they suspect of supporting Saudi Arabia's opponents in Yemen.

Transport and infrastructure

The city is served by Al Ghaydah Airport. The FALCON undersea cable connects Yemen to the internet through a terminus in Al Ghaydah, as well as another in

Al Hudaydah Hodeidah (), also transliterated as Hodeda, Hodeida, Hudaida or al-Hudaydah, is the fourth-largest city in Yemen and its Hudaydah Port, principal port on the Red Sea and it is the centre of Al Hudaydah Governorate. As of 2023, it had an estimate ...

Climate

Al Ghaydah has a

hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: ''BWh'')

References

Populated places in Al Mahrah Governorate {{Yemen-geo-stub