JEDDAH, 6 July — German Hans Luftbeild company, which was given the contract to demarcate the border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, has completed 65 percent of its work, Al-Watan Arabic newspaper reported yesterday quoting a high-ranking Yemeni official.
Abdullah Al-Fadhley, head of the Yemeni side in the joint committee for demarcation of the border, said the $986 million project would be completed by the first quarter of next year.
"The German company has reached advanced stages in implementing the project," he added.
"Once the project is finished there will be a total of 857 border points.
"The company has completed 90 percent of work in the Eastern Province from Wadia to the point where the borders of Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman converge. After that, work will move to the area between Wadia and Jabal Thaer," he said.
Hans Luftbeild had earlier demarcated the border between the Kingdom and the Sultanate of Oman and between Yemen and Oman. The German company was selected for the work from among six other international bidders from France, Japan, Canada, Norway and the United States.
The task includes marking the 1,500-km- long land and marine borders between the two countries in strict compliance with the terms and conditions laid down in the border accord signed on June 12, 2000. It also includes demarcation of border crossings between the two Muslim neighbors.
The historic border pact between the two countries was signed in Jeddah by Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and Yemeni Prime Minister Abdul Qader Bajammal in the presence of Prince Abdullah, the regent, and Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
A technical committee comprising members from both sides determined the border installations to be set up before the completion of the demarcation work.
The border accord opened a new chapter in relations between the two countries.
The two signed nine agreements recently for cooperation in the areas of cultural, sports and youth welfare; postal service; land and marine transportation; wildlife development; and coordination between their foreign ministries.
