They said they are hoping the fishermen lost their way and were stranded in other countries.

The families of the three Saudis notified the coast guard after they did not return on that fateful day. The coast guard launched a massive search for them on land and in the sea.

They conducted an air rescue mission but with no luck. The coast guard did not find any trace of them, not even their bodies.

Bandar Al-Kubaidi, son of one of the missing sailors, said that despite the years that have passed, he still hoped that his father would return one day.

He said that he received information that his father had been spotted in Sudan. He also heard that his father landed in Egypt and was held in one of the secret prisons until he was set free after the revolution. He said all these stories were probably not true.

“The authorities in the Kingdom informed us through diplomatic channels that my father and his friends did not land in any of the countries by the Red Sea, including Egypt, Yemen, Sudan and Eritrea.”

Al-Kubaidi's father was 47 when he went missing. He was relying on fishing as a source of income to support his family. One of his companions was also married while the other was single.

A source from the coast guard said the missing people had a permit to sail in the open sea for 72 hours. When they did not show up on time, coast guard launched a massive search for them. The search was called off after a while when they failed to find any leads.