Mukalla المكلا (Arabic) | |
|---|---|
| Mukalla City District | |
 Mukalla Creek .jpg) Mukalla viewed from the old port .jpg) Al Rawda Mosque in the old city  Mukalla Creek withAsh-Sharj in the background | |
| Nickname: Bride of theArabian Sea | |
  Mukalla Location in Yemen Show map of Yemen Mukalla Mukalla (Middle East) Show map of Middle East Mukalla Mukalla (West and Central Asia) Show map of West and Central Asia | |
| Coordinates:14°32′N49°08′E / 14.533°N 49.133°E /14.533; 49.133 | |
| Country |  Yemen |
| Region |  Hadramaut |
| Governorate | Hadramaut |
| Founded as a fishing settlement in | 1035 |
| Area | |
• Total | 757.94 sq mi (1,963.05 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,178 ft (359 m) |
| Population (2023)[1] | |
• Total | 594,951 |
| • Density | 784.960/sq mi (303.075/km2) |
| Demonym | Mukallawi |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (AST) |
| Area code | +967-5 |
Mukalla,[a] officially theMukalla City District,[b] is aseaport and the capitalcity district ofYemen's largest governorate,Hadhramaut.[2] The city is in thesouthern part of the Arabian Peninsula on theGulf of Aden, on the shores of theArabian Sea, about 480 kilometres (300 miles) east ofAden. It is the most important port city in theHadhramaut region. It is also the sixth-largest city in Yemen, with a population of approximately 595,000 as of 2023.[1] The city is served by the nearbyRiyan International Airport.
The current name "Mukalla" (المكلا) is derived from the Arabic verb "kala" (كلا), meaning "to preserve" or "to nurture." This reflects the city's historical role as a safe harbor and bustling port, providing shelter and nurturing trade in the region.[3][4][5]
However, several other names and epithets have been associated with Mukalla throughout its history, each offering insights into its development and cultural significance:
Mukalla is not far fromQana, the ancient principal Hadramitrading post betweenIndia andAfrica, withincense producing areas in itshinterland.[6]
Mukalla was founded in 1035 as a fishing settlement. After witnessing a struggle for control by theKathiri andQu'aiti Sultanates in the 19th and 20th centuries, it became the capital of the Qu'aiti State ofHadhramaut. The Qu'aiti Sultanate was part of theEastern Aden Protectorate until that merger, and a British Resident Advisor was stationed at Mukalla. The other major cities of the Sultanates wereAsh-Shihr andShibam.[2]
Captain Haines, a British officer who surveyed Yemen in the 1830s, described Mukalla as a town of 4,500 inhabitants with a significant trade in slaves.[7] British explorersTheodore Bent andMabel Bent used Mukalla several times in the 1890s to enter and exit theWadi Hadhramaut:
“Our starting-point for the interior was Makalla, which is 230 miles from Aden, and is the only spot between Aden and Maskat which has any pretensions to the name of port. The name itself means 'harbour'… Here we were deposited in December 1893 by a chance steamer, one which had been chartered and on which for a consideration we were allowed to take passage. I took turns with the captain to sleep in his cabin, but there was nothing but the deck for the others.”[8]
In 1967, Mukalla lost its status ofcapital city of theQu'aiti Sultanate as it became a part of the communistPeople's Democratic Republic of Yemen and following theYemeni unification in 1990, it became part of what is modern-dayYemen.
During theYemeni Civil War, on 2 April 2015,Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) stormed the central prison, freeing hundreds of prisoners including two senior AQAP commanders. They attacked the central bank and seized 17 billion Yemeni riyals and 1 million U.S. dollars before taking control of the presidential palace in the city. During theBattle of Mukalla (2015), it was reported the entire city was under their control and they planned to establish anIslamic emirate in the wider Hadramaut region.[9]
On 3 November 2015,Cyclone Chapala struck Mukalla and destroyed the city's waterfront.[10]
Mukalla wasrecaptured fromAl Qaeda (AQAP) on 25 April 2016, after 2,000Yemeni andEmirati troops of theSaudi-led coalition advanced into the city, taking control of its port and airport and setting up checkpoints throughout the city.[11][12]
On 30 December 2025, aSaudi-led military coalition supportingYemen's current government carried out an airstrike on two vessels docked at the port of Mukulla. According to the coalition, the two ships had delivered a large shipment ofweapons andarmored vehicles to theSouthern Transitional Council (STC).[13]
The main marketsouq is one of the main commercial hubs of the city.
Theport is located to the east of the town. The port is available for vessels with length less than 150 metres (490 feet), as per 2010 Pilot Book Pilot Directions. At the same time two vessels with the length 150 metres (490 feet) each and about 20 small fishing vessels can stay alongside in Mukalla port (fishing vessel moored alongside one to another). The port is fitted with an oil pipe line for tankers at the tanker dock, withoil storage tanks located adjacent to the port. A cement factory of the "RAYSUT" Omani-Yemeni company (Oman-Yemen company) located in the port and is able to ship cement in bulk oncement carriers.[citation needed]
The old town is open for tourists. Sights include the royal palace of the sultan. Guard towers that were outposts surmount the vicinity of the old town.[citation needed] Nearby areHadhramaut Mountains,[14] such as that of Husn Ghuraf.[2]
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TheHUCOM (College of Medicine) of theHadhramout University is located in Mukalla.[15]
| Climate data for Mukalla (Riyan Airport) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 32.6 (90.7) | 33.3 (91.9) | 36.1 (97.0) | 38.0 (100.4) | 40.0 (104.0) | 43.9 (111.0) | 38.2 (100.8) | 37.2 (99.0) | 37.0 (98.6) | 38.9 (102.0) | 38.2 (100.8) | 32.9 (91.2) | 43.9 (111.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27.5 (81.5) | 28.1 (82.6) | 29.2 (84.6) | 31.3 (88.3) | 32.9 (91.2) | 34.4 (93.9) | 33.4 (92.1) | 32.7 (90.9) | 32.1 (89.8) | 30.9 (87.6) | 30.2 (86.4) | 28.5 (83.3) | 30.9 (87.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) | 25.1 (77.2) | 26.4 (79.5) | 28.2 (82.8) | 30.3 (86.5) | 31.7 (89.1) | 30.4 (86.7) | 29.8 (85.6) | 29.7 (85.5) | 27.8 (82.0) | 26.4 (79.5) | 25.2 (77.4) | 28.0 (82.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.0 (69.8) | 21.5 (70.7) | 23.1 (73.6) | 24.7 (76.5) | 27.7 (81.9) | 28.5 (83.3) | 26.9 (80.4) | 26.4 (79.5) | 26.8 (80.2) | 24.2 (75.6) | 22.1 (71.8) | 21.4 (70.5) | 24.5 (76.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 13.9 (57.0) | 15.2 (59.4) | 14.4 (57.9) | 17.2 (63.0) | 20.6 (69.1) | 22.2 (72.0) | 20.0 (68.0) | 19.4 (66.9) | 21.7 (71.1) | 17.3 (63.1) | 16.1 (61.0) | 15.1 (59.2) | 13.9 (57.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 6.9 (0.27) | 3.0 (0.12) | 11.9 (0.47) | 11.7 (0.46) | 4.4 (0.17) | 1.2 (0.05) | 4.3 (0.17) | 3.9 (0.15) | 0.7 (0.03) | 0.8 (0.03) | 3.1 (0.12) | 4.7 (0.19) | 56.7 (2.23) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 7.7 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 62 | 61 | 64 | 68 | 70 | 67 | 65 | 65 | 72 | 68 | 62 | 60 | 66 |
| Averagedew point °C (°F) | 15 (59) | 15 (59) | 17 (63) | 21 (70) | 22 (72) | 22 (72) | 21 (70) | 21 (70) | 22 (72) | 20 (68) | 17 (63) | 15 (59) | 19 (66) |
| Mean dailysunshine hours | 7.5 | 7.6 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 11.9 | 12.2 | 12.0 | 11.7 | 9.8 | 9.8 | 9.8 | 8.5 | 10.0 |
| Source 1:Deutscher Wetterdienst[16] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Time and Date (dewpoints, 2005-2015)[17] Weather Atlas (sun hours)[18] | |||||||||||||
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