RIYADH: The Arab coalition fighting to restore the legitimate government in Yemen announced on Wednesday the return of six Saudi prisoners from Yemen to Riyadh.

Coalition spokesman Col. Turki Al-Maliki said: “At 3:45 p.m., six Saudi prisoners arrived at King Salman Air Base.”

Al-Maliki said that Prince Fahd bin Turki bin Abdul Aziz, commander of the joint forces of the Arab coalition in Yemen, and a number of joint forces command staff were among the families and relatives who welcomed the released Saudi prisoners on their arrival.

Al-Maliki thanked the International Committee of the Red Cross’s efforts to hand over prisoners under the Stockholm Agreement.

Dr. Hamdan Al-Shehri, a political analyst and international relations scholar, said that the Kingdom was keen to take care of its citizens and soldiers. “Saudi Arabia is eager to finish this war,” he said.

Al-Shehri said that exchanging prisoners usually happened on both sides. “It’s may be a result of a previous exchange of prisoners or maybe after the Riyadh agreement,” he said.

Last November, the Arab Coalition announced the release of 200 prisoners from the Houthi militia.

He said that the international community was putting pressure on the Houthis to release Saudi prisoners and talk about political solutions to the conflict.

“The Houthis are suffering in this war because they are lacking many things and also they are observing the global and regional environment, which is changing,” Al-Shehri said.

He said that Iran was now suffering from many protests and was busy with its own issues. 

“The Houthis are now focusing on the future and they want to finish this war … the leader of the Houthis is thinking about his position in Yemen and what he is going to be in the future so this is maybe a good sign,” he said.

“We thank God for the soldiers who were released and we hope that all prisoners from all sides will be released and end this crisis.”