Abdullah Khojali and his mother are reunited after 30 years during the TV show.

A Saudi young man was reunited with his mother during a TV program after a 30-year hiatus in an emotionally packed scene, local media reported.

On the TV program screened Sunday night, Abdullah Khojali, who played soccer for Riyadh-based Nasr and Hilal sports clubs, said that he had been brought up by his grandmother in Riyadh after his father divorced his Sudanese mother soon after his birth.

When he was 15 years old, his grandmother told him that his mother was alive and still living in Sudan.

At age 21, Khojali tried to travel to Sudan to look for his mother but owing to insufficient funds failed to make the journey. Two years later, he made another attempt but this time he was hindered by a car accident, a local newspaper said.

TV anchor Daud Al-Shiryyan had a surprise for Khojali. During the show, Al-Shiryyan asked Khojali if he would like to talk to his mother in Sudan by telephone.

Khojali’s surprise knew no bounds when his mother appeared on the stage even as he was in the middle of the phone conversation with her. The mother and son had an emotional embrace.

Khojali’s 30-year search had a dream ending.