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Indian expats who travelled back home, many because of family emergencies, said they were relieved that flights would resume soon and allow them to return to their homes and jobs in the UAE.
On Tuesday, the UAE announced it would ease travel restrictions from six countries on its flight ban list to allow some residents, who are stranded abroad, to fly back to the Emirates.
The government said all vaccinated individuals and unvaccinated people in certain job categories, could seek permission to return from August 5.
The decision includes people who are in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Nigeria and Uganda.
People have been here for months. We have nearly 76 teachers and staff members from Delhi Private School Dubai stuck in India
Kanak Raju
Kanak Raju, a senior teacher in secondary school at Delhi Private School Dubai, travelled to Chennai in July. He was concerned about not being able to return to the UAE but had to travel because of a family emergency.
"My brother died last year and I had to return home for some important rituals. I knew it would be difficult to travel back but this was something I could not postpone," Mr Raju said.
The UAE government’s announcement on Tuesday means Mr Raju and his family can return to the Emirates. They are scheduled to fly on August 22.
"People have been stuck here for months,” he said.
"There are some pupils and nearly 76 teachers and staff members from our school stuck in India.”
Mr Raju travelled to Chennai with his wife and daughters, who are 13 and 11.
Many residents travelled to India because they had not seen their parents and family since the beginning of the pandemic.
Saroja Manoheran is looking forward to returning to Dubai from Sri Lanka.
She had flown to Sri Lanka in May as her husband required urgent bypass surgery.
As her husband's health improved, she anxiously awaited news on when flight restrictions would be eased.
"By now 80 days have passed and finally we got the good news that flights to Dubai are back," she said.
"On Thursday I will book my ticket and hopefully will soon be in sunny Dubai."
Sunita Razdan, vice-principal of academics at Delhi Private School Dubai, travelled to Pune in July to see her ill mother-in-law. Ms Razdan’s father-in-law died in February.
"I was worried about not being able to come back to Dubai but my husband wanted us to visit his mother, and he said we would find a way to return to the UAE," she said.
"I am glad the news came at the right time as schools start in a few weeks.
"I haven't applied for the ICA approval. I hope there are no glitches in the system and it comes through."
I am glad the news came at the right time as schools start in a few weeks.
Sunita Razdan
Ms Razdan has received both doses of the Sinopharm vaccine and one booster of Pfizer and will be able to travel back to the Emirates.
Travellers must have valid UAE residency and proof of being fully vaccinated.
Ms Razdan said she is not worried about the high fares because her return ticket was booked a long way in advance.
She hopes to travel back to the Emirates on August 20 before the beginning of the new academic term.
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 – Group 1 (PA) $65,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (Turf) 1,800m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic – Listed (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,600m
8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $195,000 (T) 2,810m
8.50pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (T) 2,000m
9.25pm: Meydan Challenge – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,400m
UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
HOW TO WATCH
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match info
Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
The%20specs
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Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
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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
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