Saudi security team arrives in Manila to help in missing student case

Cairo: A Saudi security team has arrived in the Philippines to get first-hand information about a Saudi aviation student who has been missing there for 18 months.

On May 17, 2019, Abdullah Al Sharif, 23 at the time, went missing along with his Filipino instructor on a training flight.

There has since been no clue to unlock the mystery of their disappearance despite efforts of the Saudi embassy in Manila and search conducted by the Philippine authorities.

The Saudi embassy in Manila said that the Saudi delegation currently in the Philippines will coordinate with authorities there on investigations into the case.

Intensify search

The embassy added in a statement that it maintains coordination with the Philippine authorities and holds meetings with the agencies concerned there to urge them to intensify related search and investigations.

Abdullah’s family say information available confirms that his plane disappeared and did not crash and that their son and his Philippine instructor are still alive.

“The past months have been full of attempts and efforts by the family to find him, but it has been to no avail,” Abdullah’s brother, Abdul Majid previously told Saudi newspaper Okaz.

Abdul Majid added that the family still holds onto hope that his brother will be found.

“Information available to us is that the plane disappeared and did not crash and that Abdullah and his Philippine escort are alive,” he added without giving details.

The aircraft disappeared from radar on the Occidental Mindoro.