SANAA // Gunmen kidnapped Saudi Arabia's deputy consul from outside his residence in Aden yesterday.
Security officials said the gunmen snatched Abdallah Al Khalidi as he was about to get into his car in the district of Al Mansurah. They put him in another vehicle and sped away, officials said.
Police said they are investigating. Four months ago gunmen stopped Mr Al Khalidi's car in Aden. They stole the vehicle and some money from him.
A Saudi diplomat in Sanaa confirmed the kidnapping, saying that they were in contact with government security forces who are trying to determine the identity of the kidnappers and their demands.
Another security official in Aden said that it appears there is no political motive behind the abduction. He said it appears the kidnapping stems from a personal dispute between the kidnappers and the diplomat, who has been working at the Saudi consulate in Aden for more than three years.
Security has dramatically deteriorated in Aden and southern Yemen since the uprising against former president Ali Abdullah Saleh started last year.
Kidnapping is common in Yemen where tribesmen take foreigners as hostages for ransom or to apply pressure on the government.