Yemen's new culture minister tackles heritage crisis amid war and looting

Yemen's newly appointed culture minister, Mutte Ahmed Qasem Dammaj, is confronting widespread looting and exposed heritage sites in a society fatigued by war. In a discussion with The Art Newspaper, he points out upcoming cultural initiatives, including a summit in Hadhramaut and a heritage conference in Taiz on World Heritage Day, April 18. The historic cinema in Aden is set to reopen, and Dammaj is pursuing private investment and talks with Germany, the US, Switzerland, and France to recover stolen artefacts, all while managing a budget of less than $1,000 monthly. Since the onset of the civil war in 2014, landmarks such as Al Qahira Castle and the National Library have suffered damage, exacerbated by climate change and a decline in NGO activities. UNESCO's operations in northern Yemen reportedly halted following Houthi detentions in December 2025.