DAMMAM: Hussein Mousa Al-Hamza, the Saudi sailor aboard the oil tanker Sirius Star, which was hijacked by Somali pirates, returned to the Kingdom safely yesterday evening.
Al-Hamza, accompanied by his parents, arrived at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on a flight from Dubai, where the ship had docked after its release.
The Saudi sailor told journalists and crowds who came to greet him at the airport that he was happy to finally return home. He thanked Eastern Province Gov. Prince Muhammad bin Fahd for his concern toward the sailors' plight.
Somali pirates seized the Sirius Star on Nov. 15, 2008, in their most audacious hijacking to date off the coast of this lawless country. The vessel was carrying two million barrels of oil worth about $100 million. Al-Hamza was part of the ship's 25-man crew.
The ship and crew were detained for over 50 days. Al-Hamza said the pirates did not mistreat them but helped themselves to food from the ship.
He said the ship's owners, the Dubai-based Saudi Aramco subsidiary Vela International, was in constant touch with the tanker's Polish captain to check on the sailors' circumstances and raise their morale.
By Faiz Al-Mazrouei
© Arab News 2009
