The front has a pattern of turquoise and khaki lines in the centre of the note, over which is the illustration printed with brown ink by the intaglio process. To the left and right are orange and purple patterns which are made up with the number 1,000 (in Arabic). A boss of green and orange lies over the left-hand border of orange and purple, while a smaller orange and green boss straddles the right-hand pattern of orange and purple, and the area reserved for viewing the watermark. There is a pattern of feint blue lines covering the area holding the watermark.

The back has the same colours as the front, although the patterns are different. To the right is a pattern printed with green ink that changes to deep blue when viewed from a low angle. The pattern has a shadow printed in the same ink.

While not adhering to the general design of the notes that preceded it, the note is nevertheless quite attractive. On the front of the note is a picture of the palace in Seiyun, being identified by the text in Arabic below the illustration. On the back of the note is the old city of Sana’a viewed over the top of Bab al-Yaman, the main gate to Sana’a. The use of one scene from south Yemen, i.e. the Palace at Seiyun, and one from the north, i.e. the view of Sana’a, continues the tradition established in the third issue of bank notes of equally representing the south and the north in the illustrations on the bank notes.

There are a number of features which differ to the preceding issues. Firstly, there is a new signature on the notes, this being the signature of Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al-Samawi, the new Governor of the Central Bank of Yemen. Secondly, the format of the serial number is different to previous issues. Gone are the two letters over a number, instead of which the single letter alif sits over a number. In addition, the number following the prefix has seven numerals, instead of the six numerals used in the other issues.

Closer inspection of the note reveals a myriad of detail which makes the note a fine example of modern security printing. The numerous security features are:

• The broad strip of foil towards the left, containing holograms of the Yemeni state emblem and the number: 1,000 (in Arabic). Toward the bottom of the strip, just above the serial number, is the number 1,000 (in Arabic) cut into the foil.

• There is a micro-printed security thread running just to the right of centre. This is a windowed, or segmented, security thread, with the thread appearing to weave in and out of the paper. However, unlike the similar thread on the 500-rial note, the thread on the 1000-rial note bares itself on the back of the note, not the front. The micro-printing on the thread reads 'The Central Bank of Yemen' (in Arabic).

• Perfect registration (where a pattern on the front of the note aligns perfectly with a pattern on the back) is used several times on the new note. To the left of the palace, next to the hologram strip, is a white an blue pattern which, when held to the light, aligns with a pattern on the back of the note. Once viewed with the light behind the pattern the number 1,000 (in Arabic) is apparent. The green and orange bosses to the left and right of the notes also align perfectly with similar patterns on the back of the notes.

• Immediately to the left of the palace on the front of the note is a square of ink which is distinctly thicker than the rest of the note. Withing this square, the number 1,000 (in Arabic) is repeated six times. The number is also repeated once more just outside the square to the bottom right.

• Micro-printing appears below the palace, with the text reading 'The Central Bank of Yemen' (in Arabic).

• Intaglio printing is used in four colours. The illustration of the palace is in brown ink, the text which reads ‘... issued according to the law of the Central Bank of Yemen on behalf of the Central Bank of Yemen’ is in red ink, the signature is in black ink, and the name of the Central Bank of Yemen and the large numbers 1,000 (in Arabic) to the top left and bottom right are printed in blue and brown inks.

• The watermark is again of the Yemeni State Emblem, but is yet another variety of the emblem.

• On the back of the note, is a pattern, to the right, which is printed in a special ink which changes colour according to the angle it is viewed. It can appear either emerald green or dark blue.

• There are a number of fluorescent features on the new bank note. Firstly, the number 1,000 (in Arabic) is repeated four times on the front of the note, to the centre-right from top to bottom over the security thread. Secondly, there is a fluorescent pattern running either side of the foil strip containing the holograms. Thirdly, there are blue, green and red fluorescent fibres embedded in the paper of the note. Fourthly, the security thread fluoresces in a rainbow pattern of green, blue and red. Finally, the turquoise ink that forms a pattern above and below the illustration on the back of the notes fluoresces under ultra-violet light.