The Sana’a Center was an idea sparked in a Yemeni diwan in 2014, by a group of young Yemeni revolutionaries who stood shoulder to shoulder in crowded public squares during the so-called Arab Spring. Disappointed, but still dreaming of democracy and a civil state, these idealists were determined to take ownership of the narrative on Yemen. Instead of working as ‘fixers’ for journalists and ‘key informants’ for researchers, they decided to conceptualize and design their own research, with the goal of speaking directly to policymakers.
From 2014, the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies grew to become a truly independent think tank that seeks to foster change through knowledge production with a focus on Yemen and the surrounding region and emerged as a leader in multitrack peace dialogue programs in Yemen.
The Center works around three main pillars:
1. Knowledge production
2. Providing a platform for Yemeni voices
3. Impacting Policy
It leads multiple informal peace processes, including the Yemen International Forum (YIF), an annual multistakeholder forum convening over 250 participants from inside and outside of Yemen as well as international and regional policy makers. In 2023, the Sana’a Center implemented several programs funded by the EU, SDC, the Netherlands, Norwegian and Swedish Ministries of Foreign Affairs, FCDO in Yemen, both as the lead agency as well as in partnership with international organizations. All programs aim for innovative approaches to peacebuilding that encourage trust-building between Yemeni stakeholders, strengthen political and civil action, find practical solutions towards inclusive and sustainable peace, and build bridges between local knowledge and international mediation initiatives, complementing the UN-led peace process. The Sana’a Center also leads several long-term research projects such as the Yemen Review, Yemen Economic Bulletin, the Yemen Exchange, and the Yemen Gulf Exchange.
