French hostage freed in Yemen arrives in Oman: state media

French hostage Isabelle Prime, who was released in Yemen after nearly six months of captivity, arrived in neighbouring Oman today on her way home, official news agency said.
The French presidency announced late yesterday that 30-year-old Prime, who worked as a consultant on a World Bank-funded project in Yemen, had been freed by her captors.
The Omani foreign ministry said efforts by the Gulf nation "in coordination with certain Yemeni parties" had helped track her down,
"The search (for Prime) was undertaken on the instructions of Sultan Qaboos at the request of French authorities," a ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by ONA news agency.

The French presidency had thanked Oman for helping secure the release of Prime, in the statement announcing her release.
France has made "every effort to achieve this happy outcome", the statement said, adding that the presidency "expresses its gratitude to all those who worked on this solution, including Sultan Qaboos bin Said, sultan of Oman".

Prime arrived in Yemen in 2013.
She was abducted in the capital Sanaa in February along with her Yemeni translator Sherine Makkaoui as they were driving to work.
Makkaoui was freed in March.
In June, Prime - who the French presidency said would return home "in the coming hours" - appeared in a 21-second video posted on YouTube by her captors.

Oman has often played a role in efforts by Western nations to seek the release of citizens abducted in the region.