The Italian government announced on Monday that the arms embargo on the UAE , which it imposed in 2021 due to Abu Dhabi's participation in the Yemeni conflict, had been lifted after the situation in Yemen improved.

In January 2021, Italy permanently withdrew permissions to export missiles and bombs to Saudi Arabia and the UAE due to the participation of these two countries in the Yemeni conflict, pursuant to a 1990 law that prohibits the export of weapons to countries engaged in armed conflicts.

"The scenario continued to develop positively: since April 2022, military activities in Yemen have slowed down and diplomatic activity has witnessed a strong acceleration," the Italian government said in a statement issued after a government meeting.

And while the statement noted the UAE funding granted to Yemen "to achieve stability and reconstruction," it made it clear that the Italian government had decided not to consider the UAE a country involved in an armed conflict and therefore able to obtain Italian weapons.

However, the Italian government did not mention in its statement Saudi Arabia, which has been targeted by the ban since January 2021.

And Yemen, the poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula, has been witnessing a war since 2014 between the Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, and forces loyal to the internationally recognized government, which is supported by a Saudi-led military coalition.

And on Monday, three planes transferred about 100 prisoners who were being held by the Riyadh-led coalition to Yemen, the day after a major prisoner exchange operation that lasted for three days and included about 900 prisoners from both sides of the Yemeni conflict, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the coalition.