Muscat: The General Authority for Antiquities and Museums today published the 33rd list of looted Yemeni archaeological pieces that have been monitored and tracked, which are displayed in auctions and museums abroad. The Authority explained in a statement received by the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) that the pieces, numbering 58 Yemeni artifacts, are divided into two groups. The first group includes 44 pieces of gold jewelry and a stone vessel from Wadi Bayhan (the ancient Kingdom of Qataban), which are preserved in the British Museum. It pointed out that these pieces entered the museum in 1977 through the British antiquities dealer "Nicholas Wright," after they were in the possession of one of the sheikhs of Bayhan.

According to Yemen News Agency, the statement noted that the British Museum's records indicate the connection of these pieces to the trade in Yemeni antiquities during the 1970s and 1990s, and also show the appearance of other Yemeni antiquities linked to "Nicholas Wright" in international auctions in London after his death. The second group includes 13 Yemeni artifacts comprising statues, panels, and tombstones, which were offered for sale during May and June 2026 at "Freemans" and "Artemis Fine Arts" auctions.

The General Authority for Antiquities and Museums affirmed its continued monitoring and tracking of the appearance of Yemeni antiquities that have left the country, and notifying relevant international bodies, as part of the documentation and follow-up procedures for the protection of antiquities and cultural property. The Authority called on relevant international bodies to stop the auctions because they violate international laws related to this matter, and to return the rights to their owners. It called on anyone with any information about looted antiquities and sites to initiate communication with the Authority through the dedicated form on its official website.