Today's Edition
BATOOL GHAITH and SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
UAE citizens and residents stranded abroad continue to take on long journeys to return home, navigating cancelled flights, alternative routes, and multiple border crossings before finally reaching their homes and second homes, heaving sighs of relief and reaffirming their confidence in the authorities' commitment to keeping people safe.
Reassuring Response
Dr Ibrahim Ali Emirati, an Emirati citizen, was in Saudi Arabia performing Umrah when the events unfolded. He expressed his gratitude to the UAE's leadership for their prompt intervention to ensure their safe return.
"Our wise leadership provided a special aircraft and we arrived safely. We were taken from Madinah to Zayed International Airport. We arrived on a special aircraft operated by Etihad Airways. They truly spared no effort to support us," he said.
Aisha Othman, another Emirati citizen, who returned to the UAE by bus after performing Umrah, said the UAE authorities' response was immediate and reassuring.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UAE Embassy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia did not hesitate for a single moment. There was constant communication and genuine care, and they provided everything we needed – from accommodation and transportation to meals."
She noted that the arrival procedures were smooth and well organised: "Words truly cannot describe the dedication and generosity of the UAE Embassy staff. We saw them working late into the night and returning again at the break of dawn, doing everything they could with sincerity and commitment."
Upon arriving home, she said they received a warm welcome, swift immigration procedures and special transportation for everyone from Abu Dhabi to the different emirates of the country.
"I am from Kalba, and I was able to reach my home with ease," she said. "Cars were provided to transport families to their homes, all free of charge."
Reflecting on the experience, she said it strengthened her appreciation for the country. "At that moment, I realised even more that we live in goodness, dignity, and prosperity by the grace of God."
Trust in the UAE Government
After days of uncertainty abroad, Dubai resident Reza Kalamadeen, a TV producer, finally made it back home to Dubai after a journey that spanned three countries and nearly 22 hours of travel.
Kalamadeen had been in Barcelona when the disruption to flights began to unfold. By the evening of Tuesday, March 3, he received a notification that his flight had been cancelled, the fourth cancellation he had experienced, leaving him unsure of how he would return to the UAE.
The following morning, determined to find a way back, he searched for alternative routes, which was a Turkish Airlines flight from Barcelona to Muscat.
"The plane was only half full, the atmosphere was relaxed and I felt safe throughout the flight, and I was following the flight path on the screen," Kalamadeen told Aletihad.
The flight landed in Muscat after midnight. Immigration procedures were smooth and well organised, he noted, but the journey was far from over.
Kalamadeen then travelled by car from Muscat airport to the UAE with a group of 4 people to split the cost of the trip, as buses were fully booked for at least 24 hours. From Hatta border crossing, the taxi continued its journey through the Emirates, he said. One passenger was dropped off in Ajman, another in Sharjah, before Kalamadeen was finally driven to Dubai, arriving home at exactly 11am.
Despite the length and complexity of the trip, Kalamadeen said the emotional toll of being stranded abroad had been more difficult than the trip itself.
"I was packing and unpacking my suitcase every day. I did not know when I would return or how long I would be stuck in the hotel," he added.
He stayed in close contact with friends in Dubai, who reassured him about the situation on the ground, "they were telling me that it was safer than the media was claiming."
"I have confidence in the UAE government that they would not put us in harm's way, just like the way they handled the pandemic responsibly and proportionately. I have been telling people not to believe everything they read in the media, as it can often be misleading," Kalamadeen added.
When he finally stepped back into his home in Dubai, Kalamadeen said the overwhelming emotions were relief, happiness, and a deep sense of comfort.
"Dubai has been my home for over seven years. For me, this is home and I feel safe and comfortable here, my only regret is that I did not come earlier," he said.
UAE is Safe and Secure
Ruslanas Goj, another Dubai resident, described a similarly long journey back home after travelling through Muscat and the Hatta border crossing.
After leaving Bangkok, Goj flew with Oman Air to Muscat, which took around seven hours, after which the journey continued by road towards the UAE, and then a drive to the Hatta border with another 3 hours.
According to Goj, at the border crossing, travellers were required to use a bus system organised to process passengers, which added another two and a half hours to the journey.
"There were probably 30 to 45 of us at the border, basically a full bus. I felt safe, everyone did. I just wanted to get back home, I have been living in Dubai since 1995," Goj told Aletihad.
He also noted that a lot of what people are seeing online is misleading, "many of the videos circulating are either exaggerated or generated by AI."
Goj emphasised that life in the UAE continues to feel safe and secure rather than anywhere else in the world.
