Hundreds of residents stranded abroad are hopeful that a new application system launched by authorities will allow them to return to UAE.
On Monday, authorities announced that UAE residents abroad will be able to come back to the Emirates from June 1, provided they have a valid residency visa.
The residents became stuck overseas after the UAE sealed all ports of entry to everyone except Emiratis on March 19 to stem the spread of Covid-19.
Some have already successfully applied to fly back using the Twajudi service, a platform initially only used for Emiratis but was expanded to help arrange the return of residents.
But many residents have had their applications rejected in recent days, including Tom and Clemence Jacobs’ seven year-old daughter, Ella-Marie, who was visiting her grandparents in France when the European country closed its borders.
I tried to reapply last night and it didn't let me
Ella-Marie flew to France unaccompanied on March 8 to stay with her grandparents for the duration of the school holidays, until April 8.
As soon as it became evident that borders may close, her parents spent hours trying to book her on the earliest Emirates flight.
“Then the government made its announcement to cancel flights and she missed her arrival by a matter of hours,” said Mr Jacobs.
He and his wife have been trying to apply for Ella-Marie to be returned to the UAE since the Twajudi service was announced. After repeated system glitches, they succeeded last week only to have their application rejected on Friday saying their request with “incompatible with the requirements for entry to the country".
“I tried to reapply after that and it wouldn’t let me. It said 'you still have an application in the system.'”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation and the Federal Authority For Identity and Citizenship announced the return of residents late on Monday.
"The decision stems from the UAE's keenness to enable those holding valid residence visas to get reunited with their families after having been affected by the precautionary measures taken under the current exceptional circumstances to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic,” their joint statement read.
Residents must apply for permission via the 'Residents' Entry Permit' system, which can be accessed at the smartservices.ica.gov.ae website.
Mr Jacobs said the news that his daughter would be able to return sooner was "as good as it gets".
He said he tried reapplying several times on Tuesday morning but received a message each time saying "please note that the process of issuing permits is a gradual process and within specific conditions, and in case you are unable to submit the application, please try again later. We work for you and we thank you for your understanding."
Members of the UAE Expats Stuck Abroad Facebook group said the news gave them hope they would be able to return. But many were still struggling to apply for permission on Tuesday.
The hashtag #bringbackuaeresidents began trending locally on Twitter on Monday, after it was used thousands of times by people sharing their stories of being separated from their families.
Vidhi Sajnani, a 16-year-old pupil who lives in Dubai, is among those hoping to be reunited with her family through the new system.
She has been trying to help her sister Naisha, 20, return to the Emirates from Montreal, where she is a university student, using the Twajudi system for the past four weeks.
Vidhi, from India, said she has faced technical difficulties and calls to the authority using the toll numbers have been unsuccessful.
On Tuesday, she tried to submit a new form but could not complete the task because her sister's Emirates ID was not stored in the system.
"My sister’s emirates ID is valid and has been renewed last year, but does not show up on their system," said Vidhi.
“My sister is stuck in Canada alone and we want to get her back home as there is so much uncertainty.”
Vidhi is a member of a WhatsApp group that includes 200 people trying to repatriate their children or siblings in Dubai. Around 20 children with families who are part of the group have returned to the emirate but the others are still waiting. It is understood about 1,000 children of Dubai residents remain abroad.
Linda Middleton-Jennings, who has been stuck in the UK since mid-March, said she tried to reapply on Tuesday but was unable to. She too recently received a rejection notification about her application on Twajudi.
“When you click on the link, sometimes you are brought to a page which asks you to register with UAE SmartPass, but I tried to do that and it told me to take my Emirates ID into a kiosk, which we obviously can’t do,” said the mother of an eight-month-old son, who is in her home town of Aberdeen while her husband remains in the UAE.
“But if you refresh it enough times, you can get back to the old page, but it’s just the identical form we have been filling in since April 12.”
When she tried to fill it out again, she received an error message.
She said she was excited by Monday's announcement but her husband is more apprehensive.
“He’s just worried we don’t get approval,” she said.
Abir Saud, a 37-year-old British resident, has been trying to bring her husband back to Dubai from Riyadh for the past two months.
"We are hoping and have our fingers crossed that he will be able to come back in June," said Ms Saud, who lives in Dubai with her three children.
"We are aware of the new developments but nothing has happened yet. We have been calling the toll numbers and nothing has changed.”
On Tuesday, she and her husband tried submitting a new form but was told their application had already been received.
Sana Akhir, a UAE resident, was visiting family in Mumbai and was scheduled to return in March when borders closed.
"I'm thrilled to be reunited with my husband after three-and-a-half months," she said of Monday's announcement.
"For me, this is a blessing in Ramadan. I came here for a fracture recovery in February for three weeks, which turned into three months with no end in sight because of the lockdown," said Ms Akhir.
He daughter will turn two soon and she is concerned that her husband is missing out on those milestones.
"I have been concerned for my husband as he is all by himself without any human contact for the last two months," she said.
Ms Akhir said she hopes more details will be revealed about the flights including advice on how to travel with children.
"I've heard it takes six or seven hours at the airport alone. The system to submit an application is almost always down. Also, there have been no guidelines about being quarantined when we return."
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
Name: Colm McLoughlin
Country: Galway, Ireland
Job: Executive vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Duty Free
Favourite golf course: Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
Favourite part of Dubai: Palm Jumeirah
Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: Automatic
Power: 530bhp
Torque: 750Nm
Price: Dh535,000
On sale: Now
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Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
Brief scores:
Juventus 3
Dybala 6', Bonucci 17', Ronaldo 63'
Frosinone 0
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Western Clubs Champions League:
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
Law%2041.9.4%20of%20men%E2%80%99s%20T20I%20playing%20conditions
%3Cp%3EThe%20fielding%20side%20shall%20be%20ready%20to%20start%20each%20over%20within%2060%20seconds%20of%20the%20previous%20over%20being%20completed.%0D%3Cbr%3EAn%20electronic%20clock%20will%20be%20displayed%20at%20the%20ground%20that%20counts%20down%20seconds%20from%2060%20to%20zero.%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20clock%20is%20not%20required%20or%2C%20if%20already%20started%2C%20can%20be%20cancelled%20if%3A%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09A%20new%20batter%20comes%20to%20the%20wicket%20between%20overs.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09An%20official%20drinks%20interval%20has%20been%20called.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09The%20umpires%20have%20approved%20the%20on%20field%20treatment%20of%20an%20injury%20to%20a%20batter%20or%20fielder.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09The%20time%20lost%20is%20for%20any%20circumstances%20beyond%20the%20control%20of%20the%20fielding%20side.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09The%20third%20umpire%20starts%20the%20clock%20either%20when%20the%20ball%20has%20become%20dead%20at%20the%20end%20of%20the%20previous%20over%2C%20or%20a%20review%20has%20been%20completed.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09The%20team%20gets%20two%20warnings%20if%20they%20are%20not%20ready%20to%20start%20overs%20after%20the%20clock%20reaches%20zero.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09On%20the%20third%20and%20any%20subsequent%20occasion%20in%20an%20innings%2C%20the%20bowler%E2%80%99s%20end%20umpire%20awards%20five%20runs.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HyveGeo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abdulaziz%20bin%20Redha%2C%20Dr%20Samsurin%20Welch%2C%20Eva%20Morales%20and%20Dr%20Harjit%20Singh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECambridge%20and%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESustainability%20%26amp%3B%20Environment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%20plus%20undisclosed%20grant%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVenture%20capital%20and%20government%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Last 10 winners of African Footballer of the Year
2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla and Mali)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo)
2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
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2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City and Algeria)
The Equaliser 2
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Starring: Denzel Washington, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Ashton Sanders
Three stars
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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