In the past six years there has been an influx of two million Yemenis to Marib and its surrounding towns as people flee fighting or persecution by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Once an almost forgotten outpost ruled by tribes, the city is now considered a safe haven. The Yemeni government's Executive Unit for Managing Displacement Camps estimates that 65 per cent of the country's internally displaced people now live in the province, either in tented camps or rented accommodation.
Fawwaz, a hotel employee from Ebb province, which has been controlled by the Houthis since October 2014, came to Marib to work for an oil pipeline company in 2008. He said the area has undergone a stunning transformation since then.
"The city [of Marib] was a village then, compared to nowadays," he told The National.
“There were no public services, no electricity, no roads, no parks, and there were only a couple of hotels, one hospital and one main road to connect to the capital. All these changes started in 2015.”
That year, Houthi rebels backed by Iran drove the internationally recognised government from the capital Sanaa, leading to a Saudi-led military coalition intervening.
The war has created what the UN has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, driving more than five million Yemenis from their homes.
The UN estimates that 100,000 have been killed, although local reports suggest the death toll could be double that.
I wanted to finish my studies but the Houthi militias were recruiting many young people by force. I escaped but now I can't go back after living in Marib
Marib remains under government control. Coalition funding helped to build large camps for the displaced and the city became a centre of military operations.
Fawwaz said that when he lost his job at the start of the conflict he returned to Ebb, but struggled to find work. Many jobs only began paying salaries after six months of labour.
Instead he moved his family back to Marib.
“Many people want to leave Ebb like me and come here, but they either can’t leave their family or don’t have proper ID cards,” Fawwaz said.
Proof of identification is required for Yemenis to leave and travel around Houthi-held areas.
Many people in the country do not possess forms of ID, he said.
Fawwaz and his family are not the only ones to seek a safer and more prosperous life in Marib. His family live in an apartment, but thousands of others fill the 136 tented camps on the outskirts of the city.
Al Sawida camp, about 15 kilometres from the centre of Marib, was built in early 2020. It houses more than 1,800 families, 560 arrived recently because of increased fighting in the area.
Despite sandstorms and a renewed Houthi offensive on the area, camp residents say they are in Marib to stay.
Former government soldier Al Ezzy Al Reemy joined the Saudi-backed pro-government forces to fight against the Houthis in Marib while his family was still in Sanaa.
When he left to visit the capital, he was arrested by the rebels and spent two years in prison, before being released in 2018 as part of a prisoner exchange.
He then took his family and came to Marib.
“Freedom is priceless,” said his 14-year-old daughter, Hayat.
Many women in the camps say they prefer “the hell of the tents rather than the Houthis’ paradise".
Others say they have no choice but to remain in the last government stronghold in the war-torn country’s north.
"If you stay in Marib, you're most probably getting into trouble when you go back to the Houthis," said Rashad, 23, from Dhamar.
He left his home in northern Yemen six years ago after the area was seized by the Houthis.
"I wanted to finish my studies but the Houthi militias were recruiting many young people by force," he said.
"I escaped but now I can’t go back after living in Marib. It's the main city for the pro-government forces."
He drives buses to pay for his rent and his fees at Marib University, where he studies business administration.
“I’ve never thought I could live in Marib. During the former regime, Marib was a popular place for outlaws; it was a no-man’s land and there were no services,” Rashad said.
“We believe Ali Abdullah Salih left it deserted like this especially after oil was discovered in order to keep people away from its wealth.”
The rapid change in the city has led to a shift in the culture, Wafi, a former teacher from Hajja said.
“Here everyone is equal, no matter your region of origin, or where are you from in Yemen, because in contrast to many cities in Yemen, in Marib there is law,” he said.
He was jailed by the Houthis for almost three years because he was critical of the rebels' restrictions on expression.
He now lives in two tents with his family of 15 at Al Jufaina camp. It is the biggest displacement camp in Marib and is home to 75,000 internally displaced people.
Residents say basic services in Marib are better than in other cities. But above all, they say Marib gives people some security to work and invest.
Marib has a key oil refinery that produces 90 per cent of the country’s liquefied petroleum.
"It's still a good place and a stable place to invest," Fawwaz said.
“The local tribesmen work to make the place safe and they were very hospitable towards those displaced by the war."
The tribes in Marib and northern Yemen play a decisive role in the conflict. When it began, they sided with the government.
After a long stalemate, the Houthis resumed their assault on Marib in February.
The rebels have hit the city and its outskirts with shells and missiles.
“The Houthis will still have trouble taking Marib. It is not only the coalition that won’t let them, we will all fight for the city if necessary,” Rashad said.
The battle for Marib - in pictures
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
Brief scores:
Toss: South Africa, chose to field
Pakistan: 177 & 294
South Africa: 431 & 43-1
Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)
Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0
UAE - India ties
The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner after the US and China
Annual bilateral trade between India and the UAE has crossed US$ 60 billion
The UAE is the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India
Indians comprise the largest community with 3.3 million residents in the UAE
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi first visited the UAE in August 2015
His visit on August 23-24 will be the third in four years
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited India in February 2016
Sheikh Mohamed was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations in January 2017
Modi will visit Bahrain on August 24-25
The Energy Research Centre
Founded 50 years ago as a nuclear research institute, scientists at the centre believed nuclear would be the “solution for everything”.
Although they still do, they discovered in 1955 that the Netherlands had a lot of natural gas. “We still had the idea that, by 2000, it would all be nuclear,” said Harm Jeeninga, director of business and programme development at the centre.
"In the 1990s, we found out about global warming so we focused on energy savings and tackling the greenhouse gas effect.”
The energy centre’s research focuses on biomass, energy efficiency, the environment, wind and solar, as well as energy engineering and socio-economic research.
The Freedom Artist
By Ben Okri (Head of Zeus)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The five pillars of Islam
Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Results
2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Maqam, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Mamia Al Reef, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
3.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner: Jaahiz, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.
3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner: Qanoon, Szczepan Mazur, Irfan Ellahi.
4.15pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Cup Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 1,700m.
Winner: Philosopher, Tadhg O’Shea, Salem bin Ghadayer.
54.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner: Jap Al Yassoob, Fernando Jara, Irfan Ellahi.
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