Yemen extends US museum's right to host 80 artifacts for two more years

The Republic of Yemen has extended the right to host 80 Yemeni artifacts on temporary loan to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Asian Art for an additional two years.

The Yemeni Embassy in Washington said that Ambassador Mohammed Al-Hadrami signed with the Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, DC, Dr. Chase Robinson, an agreement to extend the temporary loan of 80 Yemeni artifacts for an additional two years after they are deposited in the museum in 2023.

She added that "the agreement was signed in the presence of the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Muammar Al-Eryani," who visited the museum and took a private tour of the museum's collections, which include ancient Yemeni artifacts, whether displayed to the public or stored for research, study and preservation purposes.

In the presence of His Excellency the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Muammar Al-Eryani @ERYANIM , Ambassador Mohammed Al-Hadrami and the Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, DC @NatAsianArt signed an agreement to extend the temporary loan of 80 Yemeni artifacts for an additional two years after they are deposited in the museum in 2023. pic.twitter.com/zk5iILUXOl

— Yemen Embassy DC (@YemenEmbassy_DC) January 31, 2025

In a statement on the X platform, Minister Al-Eryani described the renewal of the agreement as reflecting the mutual trust and ongoing cooperation between Yemen and the world's leading cultural institutions. The partnership between the Smithsonian Institution and the Yemeni government also reflects a shared commitment to preserving cultural heritage for future generations, by enhancing international cooperation in the fields of preservation and maintenance, and raising awareness of the importance of protecting sites and artifacts from the dangers that threaten them.

He said that during the visit, he was briefed on the recently recovered Yemeni antiquities, which were temporarily loaned by the Yemeni government to the museum, within the framework of a cultural partnership that allows these pieces to receive the highest levels of preservation and maintenance in accordance with international standards.

● I've made an official visit along with His Excellency Ambassador Mohammed Al-Hadrami, our country's ambassador to the United States, to the National Museum of Asian Art at the Smithsonian Institution, where we were received by the museum's director, Dr. Chase Robinson, and… pic.twitter.com/3A4URKL9yW

— Muammar Al-Eryani (@ERYANIM) January 31, 2025

The Minister explained that he expressed his deep appreciation to the Smithsonian Institution, the museum’s management and its scientific staff, in appreciation of their tireless efforts in preserving these precious Yemeni cultural treasures. He stressed that the Yemeni cultural heritage is not only the property of Yemen, but is part of the common human heritage, which requires exerting maximum efforts to protect it from looting and smuggling, especially by terrorist groups such as the Houthi militia.

It is noteworthy that in late November 2023, the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art announced its partnership with the government of the Republic of Yemen to provide safe storage and care for 77 Yemeni artifacts, temporarily due to the unsafe conditions in Yemen.