UAE residents are hopeful that a flight ban on several South Asian countries will be lifted soon, as they wait to be reunited with their families and return to work.
The ban on inbound flights from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka was extended to July 25 by Emirates Airline on Sunday because of the highly infectious Covid-19 Delta variant that is widespread in these countries. Etihad previously extended the ban until July 21.
Many residents travelled to their home countries this year, unaware that an inbound flight ban was going to be placed on India in April and on other South Asian countries in May.
Officials have been reviewing the situation in these countries and have extended the ban several times.
The ban was first imposed on travellers from India in late April, when cases there soared, followed by the others in May.
Since then, the number of new cases in the UAE has steadily started to drop to the current level of around 1,500 cases a day - down 25 per cent.
Mahnoor Rizvi, a Dubai resident for nearly four years, lost her job as an operations co-ordinator at an advertising company because she has been stuck in Pakistan since May 3.
She travelled to Karachi to spend the Eid Al Fitr holidays with her family.
Ms Rizvi is hopeful that the restrictions will be removed on July 25.
“I feel very anxious because it’s not easy to stay away from home for such a long time,” she said.
“It’s affecting my mental health. I'm so confused about when I’m going to be with my husband and family in Dubai again. I was ready to spend the long Eid Al Adha break there and spend quality time with them, but now I am feeling lost.”
Rafia Waseem, another Dubai resident, has been unable to return from Pakistan since February.
She travelled to Karachi with her son for the holidays but had to stay longer because she became ill.
Now she is worried that if they do not return before August 4, their six-month residence visa to re-enter the UAE will expire.
Like many others, Ms Waseem is hopeful that flights will resume by July 25.
“We are very confused about what to do. My son and I are very upset because we’re alone here with my parents and he always asks when we’ll go back home and see his father. I’ve also started to get anxiety attacks,” she said.
Ms Waseem is also concerned about her son’s education, because he will start the coming academic year at a new school.
Alternative routes
Many Indian residents have been able to return to the UAE through alternative routes.
Some are spending 14-day layovers in countries that are open to tourists, such as Uzbekistan and Ethiopia, before flying to the UAE.
More recently, Qatar — which is an hour-long flight from the UAE — reopened its borders to vaccinated tourists.
Travel agents said enquiries and bookings for package trips to Dubai via Qatar have surged.
“We are getting so many enquiries from people who want to travel back to the UAE via Qatar,” said Shaheen Mirshad, a travel agent at Smart Travels in Dubai.
“Indian nationals with residency in Dubai are calling to see what the procedures are for travel to Qatar. We have been informing our customers that Indian passengers get a 30-day preapproved visa-on-arrival if they have UAE residency.
“They also have to show proof of hotel booking for the duration of the 14-day stay and do a PCR test on arrival.”
They must register on the Qatari Ehteraz contact tracing app and upload their information, including passport, PCR test result and hotel booking details at least 12 hours before flying.
Vivek Menon, a supervisor at Deira Travel and Tourist Agency in Dubai, said more people now want to travel back to the UAE through Qatar rather than Armenia.
“For the past few months, Armenia has been the destination of choice for many looking to return to their homes and businesses in the UAE,” he said.
“Because of that demand, package prices for Armenia increased to about Dh8,000 to Dh9,000 for a 14-day stay.
“We have recently introduced package deals for Qatar that start at Dh2,600 for 14 days, including flights and accommodation. Depending on the hotel, it can go up to about Dh6,500.”
He said the most popular airlines for travel were Air Arabia, flydubai and Air India.
Although there are some clauses to travel to Qatar from India, Mr Menon said it is an “attractive route and less off the beaten track” than other destinations, such as Ethiopia and Uzbekistan.
India continues to grapple with Covid-19 — in pictures
'O'
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The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (Turf) 1,000m
7.40pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (D) 2,200m
8.15pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,600hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.4seconds
0-200kph in 5.8 seconds
0-300kph in 12.1 seconds
Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,500hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.3 seconds
0-200kph in 5.5 seconds
0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
Price: Dh13,600,000
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
FIGHT%20CARD
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
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What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Company%20profile
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