Egyptian authorities officially announced on Wednesday the discovery of the body of Hattan bin Ghazi Shata, the Saudi young man who had been missing for over 40 days, thereby putting an end to a torrent of conflicting rumors regarding the incident. They also confirmed that there is no criminal suspicion related to the case.
The Egyptian Ministry of Interior stated via social media that the intensive search for Shata resulted in finding him deceased due to natural causes related to his medical conditions, without any indications of foul play. The statement affirmed that the Ministry of Interior has informed the deceased’s brother and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Cairo about the developments in the search.
Hattan bin Ghazi Shata, 41 years old, traveled to Cairo last April and stayed in the Al Rehab area. He disappeared after a few days; a review of surveillance cameras revealed that he left his home, leaving all his belongings behind, and stood alone on a sidewalk for two hours before getting into a car and disappearing from sight.
After his disappearance was announced, Shata was seen in a garden area in the Fifth Settlement, and a passerby reported seeing him to the police, but he left before the security officers arrived.
For days, Shata's case captured the attention of the Egyptian and Saudi public, leading to volunteer search campaigns and reports sharing descriptions of him. There were discussions about finding his body in one of Cairo’s streets, but his brother quickly denied that claim. Hani Shata stated in television interviews that he was in constant communication with security authorities in Egypt and did not know his brother's fate—whether he was alive or dead—emphasizing the need to wait for official reports to clarify the incident.
