Missing for nine days: Amsterdam police urgently seek Hajar, last seen near RAI with unknown man

If you live in or regularly pass through Amsterdam-Zuid, police want you to think hard about Sunday 4 October. That's the last day 29-year-old Hajar was seen — and officers say they are "seriously concerned" for her well-being.

Hajar was last spotted near the RAI convention centre in Amsterdam-Zuid, cycling away with an unknown man in the direction of Buitenveldert. She was riding a black women's bicycle with a crate attached. She is between 1.65 and 1.70 metres tall, with black curly hair and dark eyes. On Saturday 3 October she wore a tiger-print dress and white New Balance shoes; police say it is unclear whether she was still wearing those clothes on Sunday (NL Times).

The case only became public on Tuesday 13 October — more than a week after Hajar disappeared. That delay has drawn questions on social media, and police have responded directly (DutchNews.nl).

Why the wait?

In the Netherlands, not every missing-person case is made public immediately. Police say they weigh the impact of sharing a photo and personal details online — especially when someone may have disappeared voluntarily and doesn't want to be found.

"We know from experience that sharing a missing person's photo and personal details online can have a major impact on someone," the Amsterdam police wrote in their bulletin (NL Times). "We try to keep that impact as small as possible, by, for example, first following up on other leads in the investigation. If that yields nothing, we — often in consultation with the missing person's family — carefully weigh whether or not to ask for the public's help."

Police also pushed back against the tone of some online reactions. "People draw conclusions too quickly and make statements about the missing person without careful consideration," they said, noting this "can be deeply distressing, not only for the missing individual but also for everyone who cares about her or him" (NL Times).

For internationals used to other countries' amber-alert style appeals, this approach can feel surprisingly restrained. But it reflects a Dutch institutional habit of protecting privacy first — even in urgent cases — and explains why police sometimes seem slow to go public.

What you can do

Practical information matters more than speculation. If you saw Hajar on or after 4 October — or if you have dashcam, bike-camera or security footage from the RAI–Buitenveldert area — police want to hear from you.

• Call the investigation tip line: 0800-6070 (free in the Netherlands)
• Call anonymously: 0800-6070 (Meld Misdaad Anoniem)
• Or contact your local police station

No tip is too small. Police are specifically looking for sightings of a woman matching Hajar's description, possibly in a tiger-print dress, with an unknown man on a black women's bike.

What this means for you

For those of us living here on a residence permit, the key takeaway is practical: the police rely on local witnesses, and that includes internationals. You don't need to be a Dutch citizen to report a tip — and you can do it anonymously.

It's also a reminder of how Dutch police operate. They weigh privacy heavily, consult families, and deliberately avoid feeding public speculation in sensitive cases. A missing-person alert may not appear immediately, but that doesn't mean nothing is happening behind the scenes.

If you have any information about Hajar's whereabouts, don't assume someone else has already reported it. Pick up the phone.