Yemeni bodybuilder fighting to make international dream come true

2 days ago 7

Saleh Hussein al-Raidi is warring against the likelihood successful Yemen successful an effort to marque his bodybuilding dreams a reality.

Published On 4 Sep 2025

In a dimly lit, suffocatingly blistery gym successful Yemen, bodybuilder Saleh Hussein al-Raidi wraps his hands astir rusty barbells, grooming with steely-eyed resoluteness for his imagination of entering large competitions abroad.

But the 24-year-old, who works 2 jobs to enactment his family, lacks the means to bargain the supplements and protein-rich foods helium needs to physique bulk, mounting him up for a much gruelling combat than galore of his opponents.

Barefoot among the battered machines, helium sweats arsenic helium runs done his workout successful a bluish singlet, ignoring the postulation sound blaring done the unfastened door.

Al-Raidi is fuelled much by passionateness than the strict nutrition regimen required by his sport, his meals often constricted to a tiny portion of food with atom – much affordable but not arsenic affluent successful macromolecule arsenic products similar eggs and chicken.

To enactment his woman and kid arsenic good arsenic his parents, helium works from greeting to nighttime unloading ships astatine Mukalla’s larboard successful confederate Yemen, portion maintaining a broadside hustle doing escaped diving for octopus and cuttlefish.

“I enactment hard, but adjacent then, I hardly scrape unneurotic capable to bargain the supplements I need,” al-Raidi said.

Years of civilian warfare and a crippled system person enactment ambitions of each kinds connected clasp for millions successful divided Yemen, the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country.

With powerfulness cuts common, al-Raidi often trains without adjacent utilizing fans astatine the cramped King Gym successful Mukalla, whose 18 quadrate metres (194 quadrate feet) are crammed with equipment.

Despite his muscular physique and tiny waist, the bodybuilder’s circumstances springiness him small accidental of emulating his idols: Ahmed Shokry, the pneumatically pumped Egyptian, and six-time Mr Olympia Christopher “CBum” Bumstead.

Al-Raidi was 18 erstwhile helium archetypal competed successful Sanaa, the Yemeni superior controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels since 2014. It was a chastening experience.

“They gave maine a medal, a certificate, and 12,000 Yemeni riyals [less than $50],” helium said – hardly capable to screen his question expenses.

When al-Raidi was aboriginal selected to vie successful neighbouring Saudi Arabia, a level summons was excessively expensive, truthful helium boarded a bus.

But helium was stuck for 2 days astatine the borderline crossing, wherever Yemenis acquisition strict checks, depleting his banal of protein-rich nutrient portion helium waited.

By the clip helium arrived astatine the venue, helium had mislaid 2 kilos (more than 4 pounds). “My assemblage conscionable crumbled,” al-Raidi said.

“I was exhausted and placed seventh due to the fact that I couldn’t spend the due means of travel.”

Saudi woman, Fayrouz Al-Omari, works retired astatine a gym

Supporting his household is already a regular struggle, adjacent earlier helium pays for what small specializer nutrient and supplements helium tin afford.

When times get tough, helium has to chopped backmost connected his workouts to debar exhaustion, pushing his extremity of reaching apical determination competitions specified arsenic the Dubai Pro Bodybuilding Championship adjacent further retired of reach.

But “seeing my assemblage respond [to training] and amended keeps maine going, nary substance however pugnacious things get”, said al-Raidi.

“Bodybuilding has taught maine subject successful each portion of my life.”