Shabwa

Shabwa, also written Shabwah, is a governorate in south-eastern Yemen. Its 17 districts extend from an inland desert region to the Arabian Sea coast between Abyan and Hadramout. Ataq serves as the provincial capital and main administrative centre.

Agriculture, beekeeping, fishing, fish canning and oil production support the local economy. Bir Ali provides an oil export terminal on the coast. Roads through Shabwa connect central Yemen with the southern coast and neighbouring Hadramout, which gives the governorate value beyond its population. Yemen’s wider war affects authority and security across the province, so control of individual sites can change even while the internationally recognised government maintains the formal provincial administration.