DUBAI // A "miscommunication" was to blame for the mayhem outside Dubai International Cricket Stadium on the first day of the Test match between Pakistan and England, according to the Roads and Transport Authority.
About 1,500 people showed up for the first day, and a security guard at the stadium said the queues for taxis started at about 4pm and continued until 7pm.
"There were hundreds of people waiting to find a cab. It was a complete chaos," he said.
Mohammed Akbar, a Pakistani fan, said: "I waited for nearly two hours to find a cab on Tuesday. There were long queues extending into the stadium from the road.
"We came to enjoy the match, not struggle to catch a taxi. It was terrible."
Organisers say Dubai Police were on the scene to maintain order among the crowd.
The stadium, located on Emirates Road, is not yet connected to any bus route and people must either take their own cars or rely on taxis to commute to and from the stadium.
One spectator who travelled from the US to watch the match said he was baffled by the mismanagement. "I am surprised that there were not enough taxis to pick up passengers during an important event. I see a lot of taxis cruising around Dubai. This was shocking," he said.
Other supporters turned to Twitter to voice their frustration. John Harris, posting under the handle RugbyCricketFan, wrote: "We waited 1 hr 40 mins for a taxi. It was dark and very cold by the time we got a cab."
Responding to the criticism yesterday, a Roads and Transports Authority employee said a miscommunication between Dubai Sports City and the events department of the RTA had led to the problem.
Mohammed Yousuf, the operations director at Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC), said his department should have received written warning about the volume.
"We did not got a letter from Dubai Sports City regarding the event," he said.
There are 7,700 taxis in Dubai, of which about 3,500 are operated by the DTC under the RTA.
An event organiser from Dubai Sport City who did not wish to be named said: "Only 50 taxis turned up instead of 150. That is what caused the problem.
"In coming days, we will have more taxis and back-up buses. We are working with the RTA to see that this does not happen again."
Mr Yousuf said RTA inspectors had been sent to the scene yesterday to ensure enough transport was provided to fans.
"Things are sorted out now," he said. "We have sent one of our officials to see that the taxis arrive on time to pick the passengers. There should not be any further problem."
Yesterday's evacuation of the stadium went smoothly, and there were no notable queues to be seen. Spectators said it took them between 10 and 15 minutes to hail a cab.
Cricket fan Mujahid was among a line of about 20 people waiting for a taxi at 5pm.
"It was disgusting waiting for a taxi yesterday. It was very cold and the taxis were not coming. People were jostling for a taxi as soon as it arrived," he said. "The situation has really improved today with people getting a cab within a few minutes."
Organisers say they are expecting the biggest crowd to turn up on Friday, when entrance to the stadium will be free.
"There will be at least 300 taxis at the stadium to help us cope up with the rush," he said. "We hope that there won't be any transport issues."
frahman@thenational.ae
Fixtures (6pm UAE unless stated)
Saturday Bournemouth v Leicester City, Chelsea v Manchester City (8.30pm), Huddersfield v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm), Manchester United v Crystal Palace, Stoke City v Southampton, West Bromwich Albion v Watford, West Ham United v Swansea City
Sunday Arsenal v Brighton (3pm), Everton v Burnley (5.15pm), Newcastle United v Liverpool (6.30pm)
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
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"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
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