7 Preface and acknowledgements The study“The Dynamics of Democratisation – Political Parties in Yemen” aims at exploring the structure and performance of the major political parties in Yemen since unification in 1990. The study is an attempt to analyse the different parties platforms and to examine their performance as well as points of strength and weakness. Moreover, the study looks into the needs, deficiencies, and obstacles faced by political parties in an emerging democracy in a poor country with a weak econ­omy. Yemenis democratic experience is quite unique for the Arab peninsula. Yet, there are very few academic resources that deal with this process in depth. Though political parties are one of the most important pillars in developing and protecting Yemen’s nascent political experience­within limited but promising margins provided for by the political sys­tem. However, Yemen is suffering from several hardships due to poverty, socio-political conflicts, tribal interests, high illiteracy and a high de­gree of apathy towards sustainable development. While there are con­tinuing challenges on the horizon, Yemen’s future holds considerable promise. It has a number of assets that can help the country reach higher levels of sustained economic growth. It is fortunate to possess oil and gas reserves, rich fishing grounds, and a number of ports with potential for attracting increased international shipping. Low labour costs can help attract private investment. With its rich cultural heritage and great natural beauty, Yemen also has tremendous potential for tou­rism development. Furthermore, it is widely expected that Yemen’s perspective for full membership in the Gulf Co-operation Council will further contribute to the countries regional integration as well as its economic development. At the time, Yemeni citizens are increasingly active in civil society with community organisations flourishing and electoral and party poli­tics progressing. The NGO sector is one that has grown dramatically since unification. Due to the relative ease of establishing a non-profit