The Campus

For reasons of student convenience and well-being, the YCMES requires all students studying under its visa to reside in the YCMES housing facilities. This has been decided from the college’s past experience with independent student-living, and to prevent problems or hassles with things such as landlords and rent, utilities, neighbor-relations, and disruptions to the student’s and college’s reputation. Stemming from this policy, student housing is included in the study abroad package at a cost comparable to local market prices (based on the quality and amenities provided). Except for pre-approved reasons, exceptions are rarely made and students are placed into the YCMES student housing based on their preferences and requests.

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 26th of September. The Bab al-Sabah dormitory offers students a more private residence in the Old City.

The Markez: 26th of September Dormitory

The six-story 26th of September Dormitory is composed of two buildings connected by a small, enclosed bridge (referred to as the YCMES’ own “Shahara 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. Quiet study rooms, common areas, and a computer lab with 24 hour high-speed internet access and word processing (in both Arabic & English) are found on the ground floor. A wireless network has been installed for students with laptops, with in-room connectivity. A small exercise gym has been recently installed and offers students a convenient location for working-out. The top floor on the larger building contains a traditional mafraj sitting area with satellite TV, and a large terraced roof that offers a spectacular view of the city and its surroundings. Laundry machines can be found on the roof of the smaller building.

Bab Al-Sabah Dormitory

The Bab Al-Sabah dormitory is about a 10-minute walk from the Main College Building, 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. Most rooms have private bathrooms, and shared bathrooms are provided for those without. The top floor is a mafraj with satellite T.V. and a beautiful view of the Old City. From the mafraj, residents have access to a private, outdoor roof-terrace with an eating/sitting area. The bottom floor is a fully modern, shared kitchen and a dining area. A washing machine and a laundry line are provided

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. Three studio apartments have been added in this facility along with a mixture of single and shared rooms, some with private bathrooms and others with shared bathrooms. On the ground floor there is a shared kitchen and living room with satellite television and computers with internet hookup. Many guests choose to use the wireless connection available in-room or while sitting in the beautiful, private garden. As with all of our facilities the bathrooms and the kitchen are Western style and a washing machine is provided for residents to wash their clothes.

The college offers comfortable single and shared rooms with shared bathrooms on each floor. Single rooms must be requested during the application process and are at a higher cost. Shared rooms range from doubles to quintuples, depending on the size of the room. All rooms are furnished with a bed, desk, and closet for each student. Students are also provided with sheets, a pillow, and a towel. Telephones and wireless internet are accessible in all rooms. All student housing requests, including building and roommate selection, will be accommodated as best as possible, though cannot be guaranteed.

A cleaning service is provided for communal areas, but residents are responsible for cleaning their own rooms. Students have access to shared, fully-equipped modern kitchens, but must clean up after themselves when cooking. For the general safety of the residents, 24-hour guards and emergency services are provided.

YCMES housing facilities include public areas for socializing and studying, such as the open roof area of dormitories, communal areas, gardens and mafrajs (Yemeni living room). The YCMES also recently installed a small gym for student use in the 26th of September Dormitory so that students can stay fit during their stay in Yemen.

The YCMES kitchen serves breakfast and lunch from Saturday to Wednesday whereas students can purchase refreshments and snacks from the College's snack shop (or "buffiah" in Yemeni dialect) throughout the day. Restaurants near the college are frequented by YCMES students and provide a wide selection of choices for meals. Students may also cook for themselves in the resident kitchen facilities, which include refrigerators, stoves and other modern amenities.

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 beautiful, green 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. Fully-equipped, modern classrooms and shared offices for faculty members are also located on this campus. The site contains the newly renovated and expanding YCMES library, a snack shop, full wireless internet access, and most services students will need during their stay in Yemen.

 

 

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. The collection is valuable to Arabic language students as it contains a variety of textbooks, short stories, children’s books, periodicals and magazines that are perfect for those seeking to improve their Arabic. The collection’s open stacks are searchable via an online public access catalogue, and the YCMES is currently developing an interlibrary loan system in collaboration with the French Institute and the American Institute of Yemeni Studies’ libraries, both of which specialize in Yemeni and Arabian Peninsula social sciences, history, and archaeology. The facilities include a quiet reading room and mafraj with wireless internet

Computers & Internet

The college has an ADSL line available 24 hours a day in the main computer lab and other locations in student housing and administrative buildings. YCMES facilities feature a wireless connection, with access points throughout its campus. You will need to see the computer technician to obtain information on how to connect to the YCMES wireless network. Students are also able to print at a small fee in the computer lab.

Telecommunications

There are several ways to call home while in Yemen. The cheapest is with a voice-over-internet program (i.e. Skype) using the YCMES internet connection. Due to the overwhelming amount of bandwidth this takes, these programs, along with downloading/uploading large files, are not allowed during the office hours of 8am-8pm and are not always reliable. International and domestic calling centers are readily available throughout the city. For students who purchase a local number for a mobile phone, rechargeable phone cards (pay-as-you-go) can be used to dial internationally as well.

All dormitory rooms are equipped with an in-room telephone connected to an internal phone system. Students may dial inside the YCMES campus for free. All phone calls, international and domestic, are received free of charge. Students may also use the in-room telephone to make international or local calls after the phone is unlocked by making a deposit at the accounting office. Students then are charged based on their usage, paying their bills with the accounting office.

Dormitory Contact Numbers

26th of September Dormitory (Main)
Phone: +967 1272 000 (followed by the room extension)

Guest House
Phone: +967 1272 000 (followed by the room extension)

Bab al-Sabah
Phone: +967 1274 250 (followed by the room extension)

Regretablly, there is no outgoing mail service for students at the YCMES facilities. Students will need to send their own letters and packages from the post office located in Tahrir Square, or through services such as FedEx or DHL. The Yemeni postal service is quite reliable for sending packages, letters, and postcards.

Receiving mail is however quite easy ! The mail service in Yemen is reliable - though not so fast - and mailing from Europe and the USA usually takes 2 to 3 weeks to be delivered at the YCMES. Yours mails should be addressed as follows:

Your Name
c/o Yemen College of Middle Eastern Studies
26th of September street, building no.83
P.O. Box 3671
Sanaa - Republic of Yemen