Saudi poet loses 2 sons, nephew in Khamis Mushayt crash

Dubai: The Saudi literary community was plunged into mourning this week after poet Mujib Al Shahrani lost two of his sons, Mohammed and Hassan, along with their cousin, in a devastating car accident in Khamis Mushayt.

Their vehicle collided with a truck, killing the three young men instantly. An uncle travelling with them survived but remains hospitalised with multiple injuries.

The poet’s anguish is compounded by past sorrow: years earlier, his eldest son, Hadi, also died in a traffic accident after insisting on traveling to Riyadh with friends.

“I entrusted him to God when he left,” Al Shahrani once said, “and hours later, the news came.”

The family received condolences from local leaders and community figures. Khamis Mushayt Governor Khalid AlMushayt and Sheikh Saeed bin Hussein Al Mushayt, Head of the Shahran tribe, visited on behalf of Prince Turki bin Talal, the governor of Asir Province. Prominent poets and tribal leaders also offered support.

Poet Fahd Al Shahrani, a close friend, described the loss as “a crushing tragedy” and prayed for strength for the bereaved parents.