The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has appealed to the public for assistance in identifying the next of kin of Rahima Sahabdeen, a Sri Lankan woman currently detained in Saudi Arabia who is unable to provide proof of her identity.
The appeal was issued after a notice from the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Jeddah, which highlighted the urgent need to establish her identity to facilitate repatriation. Ms. Sahabdeen is suffering from memory loss and has been unable to provide documentary proof or identify her family or acquaintances, the ministry said.
According to official records released in a renewed appeal on May 3, her last known residence was in Bambalapitiya. She is identified as the daughter of Sahabdeen and Madina, and her children are believed to be Ms F. Rihana, Ms F. Rimsani and Ms Fahima. Despite repeated attempts, authorities have so far been unable to trace her relatives, the Ministry told The Island.
Anyone with information has been requested to contact the Foreign Ministry’s consular hotline on +94 11 2275 530 or email [email protected].
Sri Lanka’s Jeddah consulate handles a large volume of migrant-worker welfare cases each year. Around 1.5 million Sri Lankans are believed to live and work overseas, with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates among the largest host countries. The consular service routinely facilitates repatriations involving lost passports, undocumented workers and detainees who require humanitarian return.
