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.