Firearm ownership in Yemen is considered as right rather than privilege, and therefore is allowed without any license or permit. Carry is unrestricted in the country. Yemen is the second most armed country in the world after the United States. (128 guns for every 100 residents).
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Gun law in Yemen - Wikipedia
Yemen is really complicated history.
Seems almost everyone had a hand in trying to manipulate it.
{
In 1925, Imam Yahya captured Al Hudaydah from the Idrisids.
[170] He continued to follow and attack the Idrisids until
Asir fell under the control of the Imam's forces, forcing the Idrisids to request an agreement that would enable them to administer the region in the name of the Imam.
[170] Imam Yahya refused the offer on the grounds that the Idrisis were of a Moroccan descent. According to Imam Yahya, the Idrisids, along with the British, were nothing but recent intruders and ought to be driven out of Yemen permanently.
[171] In 1927, when Imam Yahya's forces were 50 km away from Aden,
Ta'izz and
Ibb were bombed by the British for five days, and the Imam had to pull back.
[169] Small
Bedouin forces mainly from the
Madh'hij confederation of
Marib, attacked
Shabwah but were bombed by the British and had to retreat.
The
Italian Empire was the first to recognize Imam Yahya as the
King of Yemen in 1926. Furthermore, the Italians in 1926 and 1927 aimed at taking control of the
Farasan Islands.
[172] Italy had colonies of its own in the region:
Eritrea and
Somaliland, both of low profitability. There was expectation that increased ties with Yemen would fuel increased trade with the colonies and bring the region into the Italian
sphere of influence. The Kingdom of Yemen at this point had its eye on annexing Aden and Imam Yahya also had aspirations for a
Greater Yemen, with the possible help from Italy.
This created a great deal of anxiety for the British, who interpreted it as clear recognition of Imam Yahya's claim to sovereignty over
Greater Yemen which included the
Aden protectorate and Asir.
[173]
...}
en.wikipedia.org
This is just a small middle section of time frame, and it is convoluted even more before and after this time period.
I guess that is to be expected since it is such a vital location to shipping trade.