The Yemen College of Middle Eastern Studies was created from the standing buildings and reputation of the Yemen Language Center. The Yemen Language Center was founded in 1989 by Sabri Saleem, the former Associate Country Director for the US Peace Corps for twelve years. In 1993, the YLC expanded by founding the Yemen Center for Arab Studies, adding academic courses to those of language instruction. In 2006, to accommodate the increasing academic interest in Arabic and the Middle East, the Yemen Language Center and the Yemen Center for Arab Studies transitioned into the YCMES. The YCMES is a project of president and founder Sabri Saleem, and Dr. Steve Caton, the honorary Dean of YCMES and Professor of Contemporary Arab Studies in the Anthropology Department at Harvard University. Dr. Caton has also directed Harvard's Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard since 2004. The school was established as a coeducational institution, and residences are shared by male and female alike, although they live on separate floors. The educational programming of the YLC continues to provide Arabic instruction as the YCMES prepares for its inaugural semester in Fall 2008.
Location
is a traditional Middle Eastern country located on the southwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula. Compared to other Arabic-speaking countries, Yemen has one of the lowest-percentages of English speakers. This lack foreign language fluency by the native Yemenis, paired with the fact that the Arabic spoken in Yemen is conservative and close to the formal dialect, provides a location for studying Arabic. The Campus, Sanaa The YCMES facilities are located on 26 September Street near Maydan Tahrir. Maydan Tahrir is considered the transportation hub and commercial center of Sana’a.
Facilities
The YCMES owns three buildings used for housing. The 26th of September Dormitory, the largest, and the Guest House are located near the Main College Building, just a couple of minutes down the road on 26 September. The Bab al-Sabah dormitory offers students a more private residence in the Old City.
The Markez: 26 September Dormitory
The six-story 26 September Dormitory is composed of two buildings connected by a small, enclosed bridge. It contains over 30 dormitory rooms, accommodating up to 90 students in singles to quintuples. Shared bathrooms are on each floor as well as communal kitchens on the first and top floors.
Bab Al-Sabah Dormitory
The Bab Al-Sabah dormitory is located in the old Goldseller’s District on the edge of the Old City. A traditional Yemeni house from the outside, the inside has been completely modernized. The house contains ten rooms accommodating up to 25 students in singles and shared rooms.
Guest House
The Guest House is located just down the street from the 26th of September Dormitory and is used for housing professors, senior students, and other visitors.
Academic Facilities
College Building The newest addition to the YCMES campus, the Main College Building is located next to the Prime Minister’s office. This is the largest site owned by the college, and includes a garden acting as the YCMES “quad.” The administrative part of the building contains offices for the president, deans, financial officers, program officers, and other administrators.
Library
The new Yemen College of Middle Eastern Studies library houses a substantial collection of Arabic-language reference works, with a particular focus on history and geography of the Middle East, and a growing collection of English-language texts on the history and politics of the contemporary Middle East.
