Dubai's revamped system to give residents permission to fly home was launched on Monday.
Emirates Airline directed flyers to the GDRFA immigration site and said they would receive an "instant response" if they were eligible to travel.
The website - where applications can be made - is similar to the federal government's Tawajudi system, set up to bring residents home. Only those with a Dubai-issued residency visa are eligible.
Tawajudi has been overloaded with applications in recent months and travellers have had to repeatedly apply. Returning residents with visas from other emirates must continue to apply here.
"You will get an instant response if your application has been approved. If the application cannot be processed at this time, you can try at a later stage," Emirates said in an updated section on its website.
"Only book your ticket back to Dubai after you have received the approval. During the booking process, you will be asked to enter your GDRFA application number."
On a Facebook page set up to help residents overseas, which has more than 24,000 members, some said they received the permission to fly "within two minutes". Others said the system would not accept their application.
Users must enter the long number next to the word "file" on their residency visa - in this format xxx/xxxx/x/xxxxx - and not the "UID no".
The federal government said this month that about 200,000 UAE residents were estimated to be overseas. To date, about 30,000 have been brought home on repatriation flights.
Neeti Rodrigues, 44, from India, was among those who rushed to apply using the new system on Monday.
She travelled to Mumbai on March 19 - the day the UAE borders closed - to see her terminally ill mother, who died of cancer the next day.
Since then, she has tried to get home to see her daughter, Nicole, who has severe epilepsy and autism.
Her Tawajudi application was rejected twice, but on Monday she got permission to travel with Dubai's new system.
I got approval in 15 minutes and did not need to submit anything apart from my passport details
“I got approval in 15 minutes and did not need to submit anything apart from my passport details,” she said.
"Once I put my visa information, my file showed up so as soon as I pressed submit, I got approved," Ms Rodrigues told The National.
Despite that, there are currently no flights from India to the Emirates - just repatriation services in the opposite direction.
She hopes both governments will allow services to resume soon.
“I don’t know what to do with this approval because there is no guidance on flights back. I just need to get on a flight home," she said.
Since her husband's company called staff back to their office their 17-year-old son and a family helper have taken care of Nicole.
"Three months away is unimaginable. I’m hoping both sides will communicate and have an action plan," she said.
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures and results:
Monday, UAE won by three wickets
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The view from The National
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
RIDE%20ON
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The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Twin-turbocharged%204-litre%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E542bhp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E770Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEight-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1%2C450%2C000%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
