A delighted Dubai family feel they were guided by the "hand of God" after passports stolen while on holiday two years ago were miraculously returned this week.
Joy at being on holiday in Milan, northern Italy, swiftly turned to despair for Sneha May Francis, her husband Markos Abraham and their son Rafael, when a rucksack containing their passports was stolen outside a cafe, hours after arriving in July, 2019.
The crime set in motion a frantic two weeks of hurried sightseeing in Venice and Lake Como, filling out paperwork in Milan, and then boarding a plane to Kochi, in Kerala, south-west India, where they stayed with family and applied for new Indian passports and UAE residency visas.
“Coming from such a safe environment as Dubai I think we were a little naive in not being more careful about our belongings in a public setting,” said Ms Francis.
I sometimes feel like those passports were taken away so I could go see my parents, and then it was given back to me after I visited them
“We didn’t even know it was gone until we wanted to take something out of it – that’s when the horror set in.”
The situation was particularly troubling for young Rafael, only 9 at the time, who feared he would be stranded in Italy.
“When I found out the bag with the passports was missing, I was in tears,” said Rafael.
“I really thought we would have to live in Italy forever and I would never get to see my friends again. It was so depressing.”
After numerous visits to Indian and Emirati government buildings in Kerala, and more than Dh12,000 ($3,267) in expenses, the family returned home to Dubai during the first week of August, 2019.
Ms Francis said there were “tears of joy” when they finally had everything in place to fly back to the UAE.
___________________
Lonely Planet's top travel destinations in 2021
___________________
“We felt like we had conquered the world, it was like a heavy rock had been lifted and initially I vowed never to travel ever again,” she said with a laugh.
Fast forward to May, 2021, which brought an unexpected tale of lost and found.
Out of the blue, an official from the Indian consulate in Milan contacted the family and told them that they had traced the missing passports.
"We were shocked," said Ms Francis. "At first we thought it was some kind of scam or joke because it's been almost two years since the entire saga and we've moved on."
The official cross-checked their story and told them they had received the stolen bag with the now-cancelled passports from Italian police in August 2019, two weeks after it had been reported missing and around the time the family returned to the UAE.
“He was very apologetic about the whole situation and asked if we’d like the bag and everything that was inside it to be sent back to us to us in Dubai,” said Mr Abraham.
Package from Italy
A package from Italy was delivered on Sunday to their home, with the missing bag along with the stolen passports.
During their "unpacking ceremony", they noticed that one of the handles had been neatly cut, offering a possible clue as to how the bag was stolen from them.
"I still can't believe it's all here with us right now," said Rafael. "I was so happy that I could see all the stuff that we had lost that day."
Having old passports can help keep a track of the holder's travel history – something that's important for Indian nationals when applying for visas.
For Mr Abraham, it was also a case of keeping a memoir of his travels.
Treasured memories and a hint of destiny
“For me having that old passport was partly sentimental because I had flown around quite a bit pre-pandemic and had accumulated several rare visa stamps,” he said.
“I had a chance to visit countries like Yemen, Somalia and Mali – places I don’t think I’ll ever go to again, so I’m really happy to have my old passport back.”
Mr Abraham and Ms Francis said that being reunited with their stolen possessions has given them some kind of closure from their traumatic experience in Italy two years ago.
They also said it's made them more accepting of changes to circumstances and realise that "we're not as in control as we think we are".
Because their ordeal forced them to travel to India, Ms Francis was able to make an unplanned visit to her parents, something she would not have been able to do once the Covid-19 pandemic arrived.
“It’s almost like a hand of God,” she said.
“I sometimes feel like those passports were taken away so I could go and see my parents, and then they were given back to me after I visited them.
"That’s still the last time I’ve been able to meet them.”
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Los Angeles, from Dh4,975 return, including taxes. The flight time is 16 hours. Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico and Southwest all fly direct from Los Angeles to San Jose del Cabo from Dh1,243 return, including taxes. The flight time is two-and-a-half hours.
The trip
Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic’s eight-day Whales Wilderness itinerary costs from US$6,190 (Dh22,736) per person, twin share, including meals, accommodation and excursions, with departures in March and April 2018.
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.
CREW
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERajesh%20A%20Krishnan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETabu%2C%20Kareena%20Kapoor%20Khan%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The bio:
Favourite film:
Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Favourite holiday destination:
Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.
Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.
Favourite pastime:
Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.
Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.
Personal motto:
Declan: Take chances.
Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.
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
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Queen
Nicki Minaj
(Young Money/Cash Money)
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
The specs: 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman
Price, base / as tested Dh222,500 / Dh296,870
Engine 2.0L, flat four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed PDK
Power 300hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque 380hp @ 1,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.9L / 100km
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
