Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Saudi Embassy in Indonesia is closely following up on the case of a Saudi citizen who went missing following a drowning incident off the coast of Bali, after receiving a request for assistance from his family.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the embassy said it was contacted on July 8 by the family of the missing citizen, Asaad Mohammed Ali Hawsawi, who informed them that he had reportedly drowned and requested the embassy's intervention.

Acting on directives from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the embassy said it promptly notified the relevant Indonesian authorities, who initiated search and rescue operations.

The embassy added that coordination with local agencies is ongoing, with regular updates being provided to the family.

According to Indonesian media reports, the head of the search and rescue office in Denpasar confirmed that the Saudi national was swept away while swimming at Batu Belig Beach in the Seminyak area of Kuta district, Badung Regency, on July 8 around 2:40 p.m. local time.

However, the rescue teams reportedly received the alert two hours after the incident.

Emergency responders searched a one-kilometer stretch of coastline in both directions and deployed coastal rescue teams, but the initial operations failed to locate the missing citizen. Local residents also participated in the search.

Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency later announced that, after seven days of intensive efforts involving police, naval forces, and specialized rescue teams, no trace of the victim was found.

Preliminary investigations indicated that Hawsawi had been at the beach with a companion, who alerted rescue teams after Hawsawi was pulled away by strong currents. An attempted rescue using a flotation board failed due to the strength of the waves.

On Monday, Indonesian outlet IDN Times Bali reported that search efforts for Hawsawi, 29, had officially concluded without locating his body.

In a separate statement, local police confirmed that a body found on July 13 on Balangan Beach was not linked to Hawsawi and was identified as that of a 21-year-old Indonesian man.

Hawsawi’s case echoes past drowning incidents involving Saudi nationals along Indonesian coasts. In August last year, two Saudis drowned at Karangsari Palabuhanratu Beach in West Java; one of them died, while the other was found unconscious but survived.

In August 2019, two Saudi women — a mother and daughter — were found dead after drowning off the coast of Kitapak Beach in Lombok, near the tourist island of Bali.