A decision issued by the Houthi group’s Ministry of Economy, Industry and Investment has sparked wide debate in economic circles after it struck 4,225 commercial agencies from the register at once, on the grounds that their licenses had not been renewed over the past three years.
The decision, which affected local and international companies that have operated in the Yemeni market for decades, has raised serious questions about its timing and motives, and whether it is a regulatory measure or a step toward redistributing the market in areas controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi group.
A list spanning decades
According to the circulated document, the list of struck-off agencies includes well-known brands, among them Isuzu Motors Limited, registered since 1976, as well as agencies linked to Volvo.
The document of the decision issued by the Houthi group against commercial agencies
The length of time involved raises questions about how the decision was made, especially amid a commercial environment sharply divided between Sanaa and Aden, where traders face dual legal obligations and differing procedures on each side.
The body that issued the decision said the removals were due to failure to renew licenses, but economic experts believe the picture is broader than that.
Mustafa Nasser, head of the Economic Studies and Media Center, described the move as a “massacre” against thousands of agencies, saying it paves the way for bringing in new agents linked to the Houthi group as part of a broader effort to reshape Yemen’s commercial market.
Nasser says many agents were forced in recent years to register their businesses in Aden because of the lack of international recognition of Houthi-affiliated authorities, creating a confusing situation that led some to renew twice to avoid complications.
A market burdened by complications
On the ground, commercial activity is facing mounting pressure, beginning with the multiplicity of regulatory authorities and ending with the lack of legal clarity governing contracts and agencies.
Sanaa has witnessed an unprecedented state of unrest in business circles in recent days, after markets turned into a “closed city” amid a general strike by traders protesting the higher taxes and customs duties imposed by the Houthi group.
This reality has pushed many traders to seek temporary solutions, including dealing with more than one official body, which has raised costs and opened the door to uncalculated legal risks.
So far, there are no clear answers about the fate of the struck-off agencies or how their obligations will be handled, especially those linked to foreign companies.
The decision places Yemen’s commercial market before a new phase, amid the absence of any announced regulatory vision and efforts to redraw the map of commercial influence in areas controlled by the Houthi group.
With this “unfair and dangerous” decision, according to economic experts, the Yemeni commercial market has suffered another blow at a time when it is already weighed down by division and pressure.
