Al-Alimi Congratulates Norway's King Haakon VIII

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ADEN, Yemen — Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi congratulated Norway’s King Haakon VIII on taking the constitutional oath, the state news agency Saba reported Wednesday.

Al-Alimi sent the cable on behalf of himself, the members of the Presidential Leadership Council and the government, Saba said.

The message congratulated the king on taking the oath as monarch of what it called the friendly Kingdom of Norway.

Al-Alimi wished the king good health and happiness, and success in his new duties, according to the agency.

He wished the Norwegian people progress and prosperity.

The cable expressed hope that relations between the two countries would develop across various fields, Saba said.

The account of the cable rests on Saba, the state agency of Yemen’s internationally recognised government. Yemen Herald found no independent confirmation that the message was sent or received.

Haakon VIII took the Oath of Allegiance to Norway’s constitution before the Storting on Tuesday, the Norwegian parliament said.

Article 9 of the constitution requires a new king to swear the oath before parliament.

“I promise and swear that I will govern the Kingdom of Norway in accordance with its Constitution and Laws,” the king said, according to the text published by the Storting.

He then told members he hoped the relationship between parliament and his father, grandfather and great-grandfather would be sustained and developed.

The king said he had adopted the motto “We give our all for Norway”.

Storting President Masud Gharahkhani read the official announcement of King Harald V’s death and of the succession, according to the parliament.

Harald V died on the morning of Friday, Aug. 28, at the age of 89, The Washington Post reported.

Haakon, who is 53, became king at that moment.

He met the Council of State later that day for his first King-in-Council as reigning monarch.

Gharahkhani used a memorial speech to describe Harald as a unifying monarch who had served for 35 years.

“It was easy to love King Harald. Which is why it is so unbearably hard to say goodbye,” the Storting president said.

A minute’s silence followed. The ceremony closed with the royal anthem.

Gharahkhani said the oath affirmed the royal family’s commitment to democracy and the rule of law.

“The Storting wishes to welcome His Majesty King Haakon VIII and Her Majesty Queen Mette-Marit as they take on their new and solemn duties,” he said.

Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra accompanied the king into the chamber. Queen Sonja and Prince Sverre Magnus also attended.

Queen Mette-Marit had been expected to sit beside her husband. Her appearance was cancelled because of her recovery from a lung transplant earlier in the summer, The Washington Post reported.

Harald lay in state at the time of the ceremony.

Norwegian monarchs have sworn the oath in the same chamber since independence. Haakon VII swore his in person on Nov. 27, 1905, and Harald V swore his on Jan. 21, 1991, four days after the death of Olav V.

Norway does not maintain an embassy in Yemen. Its relations with the country are handled from the Norwegian embassy in Riyadh, according to the Norwegian foreign service.

Norway allocated 146 million kroner to Yemen in its 2026 humanitarian budget, the Norwegian development agency Norad said in April.

Norad described Yemen as one of the world’s most severe and underfunded humanitarian crises, with widespread food insecurity and collapsing basic services.

The agency said the money would pay for lifesaving assistance delivered through experienced humanitarian partners.

Norway set aside close to 6 billion kroner for humanitarian assistance worldwide this year, separate from its support to Ukraine.

Norad said its humanitarian funding this year would emphasise protection of civilians, hunger and health services in crises.

The Yemen allocation matched the sum earmarked for the Horn of Africa. It fell below the 239 million kroner set aside for Palestine and the 268.8 million for Sudan, according to the same breakdown.

The Norwegian Refugee Council has worked in Yemen since 2012 and operates in 10 governorates, including hard-to-reach areas, according to the organisation.

Norway’s development agency and its foreign ministry together provide about 16.7 percent of the council’s income.

Norway sat on the United Nations Security Council in 2021 and 2022 and spoke on Yemen during that term. The United Kingdom holds the pen on Yemen at the council.

The United Nations humanitarian office says more than 22 million people in Yemen need assistance under its March 2026 plan.

It puts the number of acutely food insecure at 18.3 million and counts 5.2 million internally displaced people.

More than 2.2 million children under five are acutely malnourished, of whom 516,157 are severely malnourished, according to the same plan.

Its appeal seeks 2.16 billion dollars to reach 12 million people.

Al-Alimi has chaired the Presidential Leadership Council since April 2022, when Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi transferred presidential powers to the eight-member body.

The council holds executive authority in the internationally recognised government, which sits in Aden.

Congratulatory and condolence cables form a routine part of its diplomatic correspondence. Saba reported that al-Alimi also sent condolences to the French president and a message marking Vietnam’s independence anniversary in the same period.

The agency did not say whether Norway had replied.