A young Saudi man identified as Moussa Al-Khanezi reunited with his biological family last Tuesday after 20 years of separation.
In 1999, Al-Khanezi was kidnapped from the maternity ward of a hospital in Dammam, Saudi Arabia hours after being born.
The story was unraveled after the kidnaper, identified as 50-year-old Mariam, went to the police to make an identification card for Al-Khanezi and one other unidentified boy. Police grew suspicious of the matter and dug deeper into the case.
After a DNA test tied one boy's lineage to that of the Al-Khanezi family, Moussa reunited with his family in a day spent celebrating and meeting relatives. His biological brother, Mohammed Al-Khanezi, said the family had spent all these years looking for him, with his father even offering rewards for anyone who brings him back.
The kidnapper claimed she had "found" the two boys and decided to raise them on her own without notifying the police about them, reportedly telling the victims they were born out of wedlock.
Police are currently investigating her.
"It's an indescribable feeling, from here to the far end of the country," said the father of Moussa in a video recorded of the moment of reunion.
When questioned about how he feels meeting his real family, Moussa shyly looks away from the camera and says "I'm very relieved."
In a Skype interview with BBC Arabia, Moussa's brother said it felt like his brother never even left the house for a single day.
"It looks like we both love sleeping and eating," said Al-Khanezi cracking up, noting what he has in common with Moussa.
He added that the family doesn't mind Moussa speaking to the woman who raised him - and named him Anas after the kidnapping - considering he speaks very highly of her.
Moussa's father revealed his intentions towards the kidnapper in an interview with Rotana's Ya Hala program, saying no lawsuits will be launched against the woman.
The kidnapper snatched three boys in total between 1993 and 1999
Moussa wasn't the only kidnapped child.
According to Gulf News, Mariam began kidnapping baby boys every three years after she miscarried twins.
In 1993, she took a baby boy (Mohammad Al Qaradi) from Al Qatif Hospital and convinced her husband to register him under his name. In 1996, she abducted another newborn (Mohammad Al Amari) from Dammam Hospital; this time, her husband wasn't convinced with the registration and ended up divorcing her. She married again; the second husband also refused to register the boy. In 1999, she went for her third and final attempt at kidnapping a child (Moussa Al-Khanezi) who also went unregistered.
Mariam leapt for a fourth try in 2002 but failed. She stopped the kidnapping spree ever since.
The two other boys, Mohammad Al Qaradi and Mohammad Al Amari, are currently awaiting finalized results before hopefully being reunited with their respective families.