Today's Edition
BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
Some UAE residents found themselves stranded abroad as regional developments disrupted flights across parts of the Middle East. For many of them, returning home was not just about resolving travel logistics; it was about reuniting with family, feeling reassured in the country they call home.
Among them was Australian citizen Rowan Beard, who completed a remarkable 28-hour journey by boat, plane, and bus to reach Abu Dhabi after flight suspensions impacted his travel plans.
Beard had been on a business trip in Singapore when news broke that the UAE airspace had been partially and temporarily closed. From there, his journey back to the Emirates unfolded step by step.
He first travelled by boat from Singapore to Batam Island in Indonesia, then took a domestic flight to Jakarta, where he stayed overnight.
The next day, he flew with Oman Air from Jakarta to Muscat and spent another night there. Early the following morning, at 6:30 am, he boarded a bus bound for Abu Dhabi.
In total, the trip took roughly 28 hours from the moment he left Jakarta at 2 pm on March 2 until he arrived home in Abu Dhabi at 6pm the following evening.
Despite the complicated journey, Beard said the atmosphere remained calm throughout.
“The Oman Air flight, operated on a wide-body Boeing 787, had only a handful of passengers on board. The bus from Muscat was about half full. I felt safe the entire time and encountered no issues,” he told Aletihad.
Amid the unfolding situation in the region, all Beard could think about was returning to Abu Dhabi and reuniting with his wife as soon as possible.
While some of those following the updates online expressed concern about travelling to the region, Beard said his choice to return was guided by trust in the country that has been his second home.
“For me, being with family outweighed the uncertainty, and I trusted the situation on the ground would remain manageable,” he said.
“The UAE has consistently demonstrated its ability to protect residents and maintain stability. Even now, the situation has eased, flights are resuming, and daily life continues normally,” Beard added.
When he finally arrived home, the long journey quickly faded into the background. “I feel happy, especially seeing the relief on my wife’s face,” he said.
Beard was not the only resident determined to return home. Lebanese expat and social media influencer Karen Wazen also shared her experience of travelling back to Dubai after being stranded in Paris.
Her main focus, she said, was her family. “My only priority was getting back to my family,” she wrote in a post. “I was monitoring flights very closely and looking at every possible opportunity that came up.”
When she noticed a flight operating from Abu Dhabi to Paris, she decided to try booking the return leg, assuming that if the aircraft was flying out, there was a chance it would fly back.
“Thankfully, the flight itself was smooth and so was the airport experience in Abu Dhabi.”
She also noted that some travellers were returning through Oman, driving back to Dubai from there.
After finally arriving home, Wazen described the overwhelming emotion she felt as she saw her family again. “I cannot even describe how it felt to hold my children. Every parent knows there is no harder feeling than being away from your kids, especially in times of uncertainty.”
As she expressed deep gratitude for her safe return, Wazen reflected on how the UAE has always put people first.
“Grateful to be back in Dubai, not only in the good and easy moments, but also in times where you see how hard this country works to protect its people and residents,” she wrote.
