JEDDAH: A 16-year-old Saudi girl has gone missing while on holiday with her family in Florida.
Lana Hany S. Abuljadayel was last seen at Vineland Premium Outlet Mall in Orlando on Thursday at 9 p.m. near Disney World, wearing a black long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans.
Jeff Williamson, a spokesman at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, told Arab News that Abuljadayel is 170cm tall, weighs 50kg and “speaks limited English.” He added: “We’re giving this priority.”
When asked if there was anything to indicate what happened to the teenager from Jeddah, Williamson said: “Nothing is off the table. It could be a runaway case or something more nefarious. When a teen goes missing, it could be anything.” He said her family are distraught and working with the authorities to locate her.
Arab News contacted the Saudi Embassy in Washington and was told that the Saudi consulate in Houston was aware of this case and was involved in the investigation. However, calls to the numbers he provided at the Houston consulate went unanswered as did the consulate’s main number, likely because of the weekend.
On social media in Saudi Arabia, there were several comments about Abuljadayel being a runaway who wished not to return to the Kingdom.
When asked about that possibility, Williamson said there was nothing to indicate any unsettlement in the home or unhappiness.
He said there was nothing to indicate whether this was a case of kidnapping for human trafficking.
A name search by Arab News revealed a home registered to a Hany S. Abuljadayel in Kissimmee, Florida, a 25-minute drive from the mall. It is an upper-middle-class neighborhood where homes are worth around $200,000.
Arab News will remain in touch with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and provide updates as more details become available.
Saudi teenager goes missing in Florida
Saudi teenager goes missing in Florida
Mawhiba awards 68 students grand prizes for science competition
- The winning students will carry Saudi Arabia’s banner at the International Science and Engineering Fair, “ISEF 2026,” alongside other global talents
RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, or Mawhiba, revealed on Thursday the grand prize recipients of the Ibdaa Science and Engineering Fair, marking the conclusion of the 16th National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity.
The event, held from Jan. 25-29, in strategic collaboration with the Ministry of Education, represents the culmination of Saudi Arabia’s premier youth science competition.
The winning students will carry Saudi Arabia’s banner at the International Science and Engineering Fair, “ISEF 2026,” alongside other global talents.
Their selection follows an intensive four-month scientific gauntlet that attracted more than 357,000 participants submitting more than 34,000 research projects.
Sixty-eight exceptional students emerged victorious with grand prizes.
Earlier in the day, Mawhiba announced 84 students as recipients of special recognitions from a consortium of 12 ministries, agencies, and prominent national and international institutions.
The special awards comprised 59 domestic honors and 25 international distinctions for exceptional projects featured at the Ibdaa 2026.
The path to victory proved demanding. Participants navigated multiple elimination rounds, beginning with 16 regional showcases that advanced 500 projects.
Four centralized exhibitions followed, narrowing the field to 200 finalists for the Ibdaa Science and Engineering Fair.
An expert jury of 166 evaluators drawn from more than 40 public and private universities, plus additional research centers, assessed each submission, assigning five judges per project to ensure thorough evaluation.
The Ibdaa Olympiad operates as an annual scientific tournament through the strategic partnership of Mawhiba and the Ministry of Education.
Competitors submit individual research projects adhering to rigorous specifications and protocols.
Distinguished academics and specialists apply systematic scientific benchmarks to identify exemplary work worthy of advancement to elite competitive tiers, ultimately selecting the finest entries for representation at ISEF and comparable international scientific forums and competitions.
