A Dubai-based businessman opened the doors of his farmhouse to about 300 tourists who could not leave the UAE after their flights were halted due to the regional conflict.
Dhiraj Jain, 41, from India, sent out a message on several community groups when Iran began its attacks on February 28, offering his 11-bedroom holiday home in Ajman to people stranded after airspace was shut.
His message was received by the Indian consulate, which shared the details with tourists who were unable to return to India and in need of accommodation.
“We thought maybe 100 people would come. I had made arrangements for that many but, at one point, we had 260 people in our Ajman farmhouse,” Mr Jain, a venture capitalist and real estate developer, told The National.
“We ordered more mattresses, blankets and made arrangements for food to be cooked three times a day.”
As of March 7, the UAE’s defences had dealt with more than 200 Iranian ballistic missiles, eight cruise missiles and 1,100 drones. The attacks killed three people and wounded 112.
Tourists and passengers stranded in the UAE as airports close will have their accommodation costs covered by the state, the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi said. The UAE has also said it will waive visa overstay fines faced by travellers unable to leave the country owing to the Iranian attacks. Airports have started operating a limited number of commercial flights and some countries are arranging repatriations.
Volunteer and community efforts have also been under way. Shilpa Nair, national vice president of India People's Forum, a non-profit community group that works with the Indian consulate, said Mr Jain's gesture was “a true example of people taking up initiatives on their own and coming forward to help”.
“Many people came to Dubai for a short holiday and were worried about how to pay for long hotel stays. They called us up in panic and Dhiraj was a good Samaritan who opened up his Ajman farmhouse to hundreds of people,” Ms Nair said
Yoga sessions and counselling
Mr Jain’s family, friends and staff helped set up tents on his 7,000 square metre Ajman plot. Hundreds of mattresses were spread out in two tents and inside four large halls. They bought eight portable toilets.
A long list of provisions was required as the number of visitors rose from 50, on March 1, to 260 after three days.
The businessman bought 2,000kg of flour, 1,500kg of rice, 800 litres cooking oil and 500kg sugar, 300kg lentils, 200kg pickles, 100kg coffee and 50kg turmeric. To serve the guests Mr Jain used 30,000 disposable plates, 50,000 spoons and 500kg of detergent.
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Friends, family and staff of the Jain household pitch in to help accommodate hundreds of tourists in an Ajman farmhouse. All photos: Jain family -
Dhiraj Jain, his wife Mamta and their children Jainam and Jivika in their Ajman home that they opened up to hundreds of stranded tourists. -
Tents were set up in the garden with mattresses with people sleeping outdoors or inside the house. -
An Ajman farmhouse was opened up by the Jain family for tourists unable to leave the UAE. -
Dhiraj Jain, his wife Mamta and their children Jivika and Jainam lived with more than 200 tourists in their Ajman vacation home. -
Family, friends and the tourists pitched in to help prepare three meals a day. -
Meals were provided three times a day for the stranded tourists. -
Food supplies included 800 litres of cooking oil, 500kg sugar, 300kg lentils, 200kg pickle, 100kg coffee and 50kg turmeric, 30,000 disposable plates and 50,000 spoons. -
Exhaustive provisions were required such as sacks of 2,000kg flour and 1,500kg rice. -
The Jains organised a medical camp as anxiety soared amid the Iran strikes. -
Children play badminton as games were organised to distract them from the Iran strikes. -
The house accommodated about 300 stranded Indian tourists since the Iran attacks began. -
Groups of tourists pose for photos during their stay in the Jain villa that the Dubai family threw open for those stranded. -
The Jain family, friends and household staff make the tourists feel at home. -
Tourists stay in an Ajman farmhouse until their flights back to India opened up. -
The youngest was one-year-old among the 300 people given shelter by the Jain family. -
Tents were set up with 300 tourists staying in tented accommodation and in an Ajman farmhouse over the past week before limited flights opened up.
“I felt there should be someone to take care of them before they go back to India,” Mr Jain said.
“I always love helping people. I believe seva [service] is the most important. I really love the UAE and I love India. We live here and this is our opportunity to serve.”
Along with friends, he also arranged for transport to Ajman for those who came from Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.
Mr Jain’s wife Mamta, and their children Jainam and Jivika, organised yoga sessions, musical chairs and badminton games.
“These people were in so much tension so we distracted them with activities,” said Mr Jain who has lived in the UAE for 11 years and is from Pune.
Movie nights were set up and cricket fans cheered on Thursday when India won a close T20 World Cup cricket semi-final against England.
Women chatted as they divided up work from cutting vegetables and fruit to cooking Indian flat bread. A team of doctors and nurses was brought in for a quick health check on the visitors, aged from a year old to 70, as stress levels were high.
“We also had counsellors talk to people because some were crying, they missed home and were worried,” Mr Jain said.
About 300 tourists have been accommodated at the farm since the Iranian attacks began, with the bulk of visitors departing on Thursday when limited flights resumed. There were still about 80 tourists left, with 20 more scheduled to come in on Friday after their flights were cancelled.
Warm hospitality
The Jain family have lived with the visitors and did not return to their Jumeirah villa over the past week.
Their warmth and hospitality has touched the tourists. Many were anxious when they felt the ground shake and windows rattle from loud sounds of missiles being intercepted by the UAE military.
It was Seema Oza’s first international holiday and the family panicked when a five-day holiday was prolonged with the Iran attacks.
“We were scared of the blast sounds, worried about hotel and food bills,” said the Mumbai resident.
“Here, we feel at peace, we feel safe, secure. It was so good being with other people and not by ourselves in a hotel. When people have a lot of money, they could just let people stay in their house and let the staff manage. “But the Jain family sleeps and eats with us, they are in the kitchen checking the food. We would not get this feeling of security anywhere else.”
The tourists hope their flights will be confirmed in the next few days. Anil Kumar, a contractor from Uttar Pradesh in northern India, was also scheduled to return on March 1 when the air strikes upended his plans.
“We were worried about hotel costs, how to manage food, accommodation and then heard of the Jain farmhouse. I don’t have words to describe what this means to us,” he said.
“This is a huge support. We were more than 260 people at one point but it felt like family. We were so anxious about the battle going on and now all we feel is relief. We just feel safe now.”
