Dubai: Authorities in both the UAE and India are hunting for an Emirati teenager missing since October 12, Gulf News has learnt.
Family members have no idea where to turn after reporting the disappearance of Khalid Esmail Al Hosani, 19, to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“There are many possibilities for his disappearance as he suffers from epilepsy, maybe he is lost or maybe he fell ill.
“It is a big area and my son is not familiar with the place,” His father, Esmail Al Hosani, who is in India, told Gulf News on Monday.
“We alerted the UAE embassy in India as well as Indian authorities.
“I am sure my son is OK because he was not found in any hospitals so this means he is OK, but where is he? I am thinking all the time, what happened to my eldest son?” Al Hosani added.
Khalid disappeared around 8.30am UAE time on Friday after asking his father to go out of their hotel room.
The pair were staying in Bangalore while Khalid received treatment for his epilepsy.
Al Hosani said: “Khalid had asked me to go out of the room for some time and I’d allowed him but later, as time passed and my son did not return back to the room, I went out searching for my son.
“I’d spent two hours looking for him in the hotel then, after failing to find him in the surrounding area, I alerted the authorities.
“The representative of the UAE embassy in India came and met me, they have spent time with me to try and find my son.”
Khalid’s father also notified hospitals in Bangalore — where the missing young Emirati had been staying with father since September 30.
“At the beginning, I didn’t notify my family fearing the worst but later, I could not control myself and I was crying all the time, I decided to inform my family about the matter,” Al Hosani added.
Khalid has received treatment for his epilepsy for 14 years in the UAE and overseas.
His father added: “In 2011, I took my son to Thailand for treatment and he went missing but after a few hours we found him, he had collapsed while he was out and then people took him to the hospital where they contacted us.”
Khalid’s mother, Umm Khalid, told Gulf News from her house in Abu Dhabi: “We are not at all able to understand where he has gone. There is no trace of him. Mostly he would remain with his father and used to go out for treatment.
“I hope that the authorities search all places, even jails.
“My husband is retired and he took Khalid for treatment in India, if I knew my son would go missing, I would not have let him go.”
Khalid’s younger brother Khalfa told Gulf News: “I cannot sleep or eat from the time of hearing the news.”
Khalid is the eldest in his family and he has four sisters and one brother.
