Crown Prince announces medium-term debt strategy to diversify funding sources "A resilient economy capable of overcoming challenges reflects progress towards achieving Vision 2030 goals"    OPEC+ tripartite meeting keen on maintaining global oil market stability    'No excuses' for Israel to not accept ceasefire deal, EU foreign policy chief says    Riyadh Season draws 8 million visitors in 6 weeks    Alkhorayef highlights role of National Initiative for Global Supply Chains in boosting Saudi economy    Saudi Arabia signs investment deals worth SR35bn with foreign firms to strengthen global supply chains    Saudi Arabia unveils updates on Expo 2030 Riyadh master plan at 175th BIE General Assembly Riyadh Expo Development Company established to oversee strategic planning, operations, and legacy development    Saudi FM attends Quadripartite meeting on Sudan in Italy    Georgia's new parliament opens first session amid mass protests and boycott    Gangsters block aid distribution in south Gaza    Russian deserter reveals war secrets of guarding nuclear base    Best-selling novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford dies    Cristiano Ronaldo's double powers Al Nassr to 3-1 win over Al Gharafa in AFC Champions League    Saud Abdulhamid makes history as first Saudi player in Serie A    Al Ahli edges Al Ain 2-1, bolsters perfect start in AFC Champions League Elite    Al-Falih: 1,238 foreign investors obtain premium residency in Saudi Arabia    Most decorated Australian Olympian McKeon retires    Adele doesn't know when she'll perform again after tearful Vegas goodbye    'Pregnant' for 15 months: Inside the 'miracle' pregnancy scam    Do cigarettes belong in a museum?    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



French woman hostage freed in Yemen after a year in captivity
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 05 - 10 - 2016

A French-Tunisian woman working for the Red Cross has been released after nearly a year in captivity in Yemen, the International Committee of the Red Cross said late Monday.
An ICRC statement said that Nourane Houas had arrived in Oman's capital, Muscat, after being freed by her Yemeni captors.
Houas was kidnapped by a group of armed men on her way to work in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, on Dec. 1, 2015. A colleague with her was released unharmed a few hours later but she was held.
She appeared in a video in May asking French President Francois Hollande to save her life.
Hollande "expressed his gratitude to all those who allowed for a happy ending to this ordeal," notably the Sultan of Oman, according to a statement from Hollande's office. He also cited the efforts of ICRC President Peter Maurer and members of his organization. In a tweet, Maurer thanked everyone who worked to secure her release, saying: "Respect for humanitarian workers and their neutrality is vital."
Houas landed in Muscat on an Omani air force flight, stepping off the jet in a simple black robe, according to images released by state media.
Hollande praised "Nourane Houas' courage during her long detention," adding that he "shares in her family's joy" over her release.
"We are relieved and thankful that Nourane is now back with us, safe and sound," said Alexandre Faite, head of the ICRC delegation in Yemen. "Her abduction was a terrible ordeal for her, as well as for her family, friends and colleagues. And it has obviously dealt a real blow to our humanitarian work in Yemen."
Faite said her release "has taken a lot of effort, inside and outside Yemen and over many months, but finally we have a positive result."
"Our priority now is Nourane's well-being and getting her home to her family," Faite said. "We would ask everyone to respect her and her family's privacy at this time."
No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction and the ICRC said it will not comment on the identity of the abductors, their motives or the details of her release. Hollande also gave no details about the circumstances of Houas' release.
Oman's Foreign Ministry said it used "Yemeni contacts" to free Houas on the orders of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, without elaborating. While ongoing peace talks to end Yemen's civil war have been held in Kuwait, Yemen's Shiite rebels known as Houthis repeatedly have traveled to Muscat to engage in talks.
Oman, a country on the western edge of the Arabian Peninsula, has proven itself as a valuable Western ally to negotiate the release of captives in the region.
Previously, Yemen negotiated the releases of several groups of foreign captives held amid Yemen's war.
The abduction of foreigners is common in Yemen, where militant groups such as Al-Qaeda and tribesmen use hostages to raise funds through ransom payments or bargain for the release of prisoners. The Houthis also have held Westerners captives during the war.


Clic here to read the story from its source.