We have rather enjoyed some of its technological inventions in the field of communications, medicine and entertainment. The only positive thing I can mention is people's being getting used to democracy, although it is still in the beginning. Entering the 21st century would not be so happy an event for a country born in the modern age less than forty years ago, in a world where the industrial revolution had begun more than two hundred years ago. This wide gap of time has greatly affected the position of Yemeni people on the ladder of modern civilization. This short period gives them only a narrow scope for building cultural and technical infrastructure enabling them to enter the coming age of information and technology revolution.
Illiteracy is still widely spread among the Yemeni people.
Yet, the elite of the society attain their positions of decision-making by using unfair means. What's more, the majority of these leaderships have attained their posts by means of nepotism, sycophancy, bribery or through accomplishing illegal services to higher leaderships. These are the reasons why many leaderships lack the ability to make sound plans for their own time. Therefore, their authority does not accomplish its tasks in protecting citizens from the power and influence of despotic people. Such an authority would be always in search of means through which it can maintain its power rather than planning for the coming century.