Mariam M. Iftequaruddin, a 15-year-year-old Grade 9 student at International Indian School in Jubail, was found in a hospital close to the Holy Mosque.
Confirming the details, Khaja Tauqeer Ahmed, a close friend of the family, said: “Mariam’s father is at a Makkah police station completing the formalities.”
He said the girl was safe but shaken. “When doctors at the hospital asked for her father’s contact numbers, she said she couldn’t remember them,” said the family friend. “It is quite possible that the trauma of being separated from her parents may have had a devastating effect on her senses.”
Mariam’s father, Mohammed Iftequaruddin, had switched off his cell phone and was, therefore, not available for comment.
“We want to thank every single person who prayed for the safe return of Mariam,” said Tauqeer Ahmed. “It is like Eid for us.”