Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said in a speech this week that a "hidden hand" was manipulating currency rates, as the value of the riyal continues to fluctuate relative to the dollar, the Yemen Observer reported on Saturday (August 7th).

"These hands have unknown aspirations and agendas in the country, whether they are banks or exchange offices," Saleh said.

Anyone caught manipulating currency prices will be prosecuted, the president said.

The steep decline in the riyal's value over the past few weeks is the result of external influences and not a reflection of the Yemeni economy, he said.