RIYADH: The Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance (Masam) dismantled 4,184 mines in Yemen during the fourth week of April, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
They comprised 314 anti-personnel mines, 2,995 anti-tank mines, 834 unexploded ordnances and 41 explosive devices.
Masam is one of several initiatives undertaken by Saudi Arabia on the directive of King Salman to help ease the suffering of the Yemeni people.
It is implemented by Saudi cadres and international experts to remove mines planted by Iran-backed Houthi militias in various Yemeni regions, especially Marib, Aden, Al-Jawf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale, and Saada.
A total of 241,048 mines have been extracted since the start of the project. More than 1.1 million mines have been planted by the Houthis, claiming hundreds of civilian lives.
Masam has 32 demining teams, and aims to dismantle mines in Yemen to protect civilians and ensure that urgent humanitarian supplies are delivered safely.
It trains local demining engineers, gives them modern equipment and helps mine victims.
In 2020, Masam’s contract was extended for one year at a cost of $30 million.
Earlier, the director of Yemen’s National Mine Action Program thanked Saudi Arabia for clearing mines in Yemen.
Brig. Ameen Al-Aqeeli said mines and improvised explosive devices planted by the Iran-backed Houthi militia have so far killed more than 8,000 civilians in the country.
Al-Aqeeli called on the international community to pressure the Houthi militia to stop planting landmines, saying they have caused a humanitarian disaster in Yemen.
Landmine clearance project Masam clears 4,184 more mines in Yemen
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Landmine clearance project Masam clears 4,184 more mines in Yemen
Saudi astronauts help achieve breakthrough in cartilage-repair research
- Nanomaterial produced in space for the first time
- Saudi astronaut Rayana Barnawi part of the team
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has recorded a major scientific milestone with its astronauts helping to produce a cartilage-repair nanomaterial in space for the first time, building on the work done during the Kingdom’s landmark SSA-HSF1 mission in 2023.
The Saudi Space Agency announced that its astronauts’ involvement in 19 experiments aboard the International Space Station would enhance quality of life on Earth.
The SSA explained that the research, led by scientists Yupeng Chen and Mari Anne Snow, in an international collaboration, focused on developing advanced biomaterials for tissue engineering, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
Saudi astronaut Rayana Barnawi helped to conduct the experiments and collect data in the microgravity environment. The material produced could assist in tissue treatment and organ transplantation.
The research findings were published in Nature in July 2025, one of the world’s leading scientific journals.
Barnawi said: “Conducting the experiment in space enabled the fabrication of an advanced nanomaterial and the production of reliable data that supports the development of scientific research contributing to improving human life and serving humanity.”
The SSA said the Kingdom wants to maximize the scientific return from human exploration missions for the benefit of the planet.
