Khat Makes Yemen’s World Go ‘Round

SAN'A, Yemen — Clad in white robes with daggers secured by ornate belts, the guests arrive at the luxury home of Mohammed Wad’ai with bundles of the leafy narcotic khat under their arms.

The men settle in for several hours of chewing and chatting in a huge room with blue velvet cushions and silk carpets on the floor and crystal chandeliers above.

By the end of the evening, the floor of the judge’s house is covered with so many twigs and leaves that cattle could graze on the leftovers.

From the finest private homes to the dusty streets of this ancient city, almost every man in Yemen chews khat, a stimulant that doctors say can lead to unpredictable behavior and cause diseases and psychological disorders over the long run.

Critics contend that because of khat, the male half of Yemen’s population is mildly drugged for at least part of every day.

It’s also a drain on the paltry incomes in impoverished Yemen, a country still trying to recover from a 1994 civil war. It costs about 400 riyals ($3) for a bundle of khat, enough for a day’s use, which is no small sum in a country where annual per capita income is the equivalent of $500.

Most Arab countries have outlawed khat, but it is legal in Yemen and the government does nothing to discourage its use. The president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, is a devotee, and he made sure his troops received daily rations of khat during their war with secessionists in southern Yemen two years ago.

Khat also is popular across the Gulf of Aden in the Horn of Africa, including Somalia, where it fuels militiamen in that country’s civil war.

Those who use it swear by it. They say it reduces tension, helps them think more clearly and is an essential ingredient for any male social gathering in Yemen.

Mohammed Yehia al-Sharafi, a neuropsychiatry professor and head of Yemen’s University of Applied Sciences, says he has found that in small doses, khat is useful in reducing the anxieties of patients.

But frequent use causes gastritis, inflammation of the gums, loss of appetite and depression, and affects sexual potency, he warns.

A big part of khat’s attraction lies in its “inspirational” effect on users, Sharafi says.

“Users tend to embark on long speeches encouraged by the false notion that they are treating listeners to the jewels of knowledge,” says Sharafi, who is also a member of Parliament.

Though khat is a relatively mild stimulant, it can make users edgy and it probably dulls physical skills. Taking a taxi ride with a khat-chewing driver is a nail-biting experience. Several narrow misses and a number of outrageous traffic violations are part of a 15-minute ride.

Khat users say any talk of negative effects is nonsense.

“Khat sessions remove all social divisions and bring together men from different walks of life,” says Wad’ai, one of Yemen’s top judges and a regular khat chewer.

“It is not addictive, as people say. That is why we don’t need it when we are traveling outside Yemen.”

Chewing khat is mostly done at home during daily sessions that can bring together two dozen men or more from early afternoon until evening.

Those who have to work late, such as policemen, taxi drivers or shopkeepers, chew on the job.

Getting the knack of chewing khat is not difficult, but it’s an acquired taste.

Seasoned users advise chewing the bitter leaves slowly until a ball of khat rests on one side of the mouth. From then on, chewers just roll it around in their cheek, similar to chewing tobacco.