Yemen's ambassador to Egypt was robbed by gunmen, who stole about 594,000 dollars in cash, security sources told the German Press Agency dpa on Wednesday.

Ambassador Abdel-Walay al-Shemiri was on his way to the southern city of Assiut in Egypt when three gunmen robbed him, said Egyptian security sources, who did not give further details.

Al-Shemiri told authorities he had the lofty sum of 3.5 million Egyptian pounds (594,000 dollars), in cash to distribute to the University of Assiut, where a number of Yemeni students were studying on scholarship.  -Sapa-dpa