A Norwegian United Nations worker in Yemen was set free on Thursday night following a successful mediation from local tribesmen, independent news website Marebpress reported. The 34-year-old man was taken hostage by unknown gunmen from the streets of the Yemeni capital on January 15 and taken to the province of Mareb. A local influential tribal leader in Mareb said that tribal efforts managed to convince the abductors to release the Norwegian. He was then handed over to Mareb's security chief. Kidnapping tourists or foreign citizens have become a criminal trend in Yemen to press for demands from the government like releasing relatives or improving infrastructure.