Yemen is home to some of the world's oldest skyscrapers - contiguous mud-brick tower buildings rising five to nine stories high.

Locals in the city of Shibam in Hadramaut say some of the buildings have stood for seven centuries, as a former symbol of political and economic prestige.

But the buildings are located on a floodplain, which risks being washed away by torrential rains.

As Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra reports, residents fear preserving the city could prove difficult. [28 Feb 10]