United Arab Emirates forces based in Yemen's port city of Aden have freed a British hostage who had been held by al Qaeda, state news agency WAM said on Sunday.

The hostage, who went missing in Feb. 2014, was taken to Abu Dhabi on a military plane on Saturday night, the agency said.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan spoke to British Prime Minister David Cameron to tell him about the release on Saturday, WAM added.