HOUSTON – Rabe’e Ata Juma’a Alqaq, the Jordanian soccer player whose disappearance from Rice University prompted an urgent search in Houston, says he left on his own after being encouraged by a friend in Chicago — and only realized the widespread concern after he arrived and connected to the internet.
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In an interview conducted in Arabic, Alqaq told spoke on social media Sawa.us that he and his team had arrived in the U.S. for the Genuine Cup, an international soccer tournament for athletes with intellectual disabilities hosted at Rice University. He said the Jordanian delegation received their rooms, unpacked and tried to rest after traveling, but he couldn’t sleep.
“I wanted to go out and walk,” Alqaq said, explaining he began walking around the Rice campus late at night and did not see gates or signs restricting access. He said he was speaking with a friend in Chicago while walking when the friend suggested he come north to visit him.
“My job was secure, and my accommodation was taken care of … so for someone like me, it was very tempting,” he said. Alqaq added that he recognized it was a mistake after he reached Chicago.
Last Sunday, Rice University police issued a Be On the Lookout (BOLO) alert after Alqaq did not return to his room and missed breakfast the next morning. Investigators said surveillance video showed him walking around campus, appearing to look down at his phone, before turning and walking the opposite direction.
Police said Alqaq has cerebral palsy, speaks Arabic and was believed to be using Wi-Fi rather than a cellular data plan while in Houston.
Alqaq told Sawa.us he traveled by bus for about two days, stopping in multiple states. He said he did not have internet access during the trip and had no idea his disappearance had become a news story.
“The phone that I have has no internet,” he said.
When he arrived in Chicago around 8 a.m., Alqaq said he asked an Arab man for help, connected to Wi-Fi and immediately saw the reports that he was missing.
“I realized immediately the mistake that I made,” he said.
KPRC 2 later reported that Rice University officials said Alqaq was found safe in the Chicago area and that no foul play was suspected. Rice said Alqaq contacted the Rice University Police Department after seeing the news coverage, and the department coordinated with law enforcement in Illinois, the Jordanian Consulate in Texas and Alqaq’s soccer team to confirm he was safe.
Alqaq said he contacted Rice police right away and told them he was OK, then asked to return to his team because he felt he had hurt them. He said his team booked his flight back to Houston.
He also offered a message to others who might consider making a similar choice: “If you’re coming here, make sure you do it legally,” he said, calling the U.S. “a dream opportunity” and pointing to limited job prospects for young people back home.
Alqaq thanked his team for standing by him and everyone who reached out with concern. “They were incredibly supportive,” he said.