AL AIN // The Emirati community in Al Ain is continuing to rally round the family of two brothers who disappeared while swimming off the southern coast of Oman last week.
People living in the neighbourhood of Asharej have been offering their support to Mohammed Al Dhaheri, the father of Abdullah Mohammed, 21, and Mansour Mohammed, 19, who have been missing since Thursday.
“Our neighbours keep telling us: ‘God willing, they will come back, they come back.’ We are holding on and being patient,” said Mr Al Dhaheri.
“We’re surrounded by family, friends and neighbours, as we are patiently waiting to hear any news,” said their uncle, Saeed.
Mr Al Dhaheri, a father of nine, said: “Whether they are alive or dead, I just don’t know and I cannot say. More family members went to Oman by car and by plane.”
The Omani authorities have not given up finding his nephews, said Saeed.
“Some of my brothers went to Oman today and the authorities are still looking for the boys in the ocean.”
If the bodies of the brothers are not found, Mr Al Dhaheri said the family were prepared to “perform salat al ghaib [prayer in absentia]”.
The Omani authorities said there was no specific time period to call off the search.
A spokesman said: “The search is ongoing and we are exerting all our efforts to find them, whether by boat, air, or divers. We even have some citizen volunteers looking for the boys.”
He said the authorities were in continuous contact with the family of the brothers as well as Emirati authorities.
The brothers were on a recreational trip for Eid Al Fitr, visiting the town of Mirbat.
They were at a beach in Dhofar province, east of Salalah, when they were swept out to sea by rough waves.
They were part of a group of six men who had arrived in Salalah on Wednesday night. An Oman Royal Air Force helicopter joined teams from the General Authority for Civil Defence and Rescue Oman on Thursday.
dmoukhallati@thenational.ae