Main economic activities on which the population of Socotra relies upon are livestock, fishing, date palm plantations, primitive household gardens, with some minor forms of primarily opportunistic trade.

 As in the rest of Yemen, Arabic is the official language on Socotra, being taught in schools and spoken in all external affairs, includingGovernment administration.

 However the people of Socotra speak a language which is quite different from Modern Arabic. The Socotri is an ancient unwritten language, of pre-Islamic origin, related to the Mahri language spoken in the Mahra region of Southern Arabia.

 In the coastal areas, most literate people are completely bilingual, but in rural areas and among women and children, Arabic is rarely used and often not well understood.