Pakistani Consul-General Ahmed Ali. Twitter.
Pakistani Consul-General Ahmed Ali. Twitter.
Pakistani Consul-General Ahmed Ali. Twitter.
Pakistani Consul-General Ahmed Ali. Twitter.

Coronavirus: More than 60,000 Pakistanis await repatriation


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The Consul-General of Pakistan has asked citizens to remain patient as officials continue to arrange repatriation flights.

About 60,000 Pakistanis have applied to be sent home from the UAE, most of whom have been laid off or furloughed following the outbreak of coronavirus.

On Sunday, Consul-General Ahmed Ali released a two minute video in Urdu on Twitter in response to the high demand.

“We understand everyone’s difficulty, especially during this month of Ramadan,” he said.

“We have started the process of flights and we are requesting people to be patient. We have already sent back 2,500 people on Pakistan International Airlines flights.

"Emirates Airlines are also sending people back. Everyone’s turn will come.”

Mr Ali said those without a salary or in medical need would have priority.

“People who have been laid off, are on unpaid or paid leave or on expired visas are on the priority list," he said.

"There are also death cases, pregnant women, emergency cases and students.”

Those wishing to return home will be issued with tickets from the PIA after registering with the Embassy or Consulate and receiving approval. Tickets cannot be obtained directly from the consulate.

“The consulate will call you and you will be asked to go to a designated PIA desk where tickets are being issued,” said Mr Ali.

“Also, there are rumours that some agents are issuing standby tickets, which is wrong.

"There are also people saying people are selling black tickets. If anyone is charging you wrongly, please report to the consulate or the police.”

Pakistan scheduled 14 flights from the UAE between April 20 and April 28, according to details released by the country's ministry of foreign affairs.

Last month, hundreds of people gathered outside the Pakistan embassy in Abu Dhabi and consulate in Dubai to register for repatriation.

Some chanted slogans against the Pakistani government, which halted all flights to the country on March 21.

Arbab Shah Shakirullah, 40, said he and his three brothers had been stranded in Dubai without work since March.

“We registered with the consulate and didn’t get any calls,” said Mr Shakirullah, a UAE resident since 2002.

“Our parents are at home and sick. We need two of us at least to go home to take care of them.”

Mr Shakirullah, a tour guide, has been furloughed until the autumn.

His brothers worked as drivers and they all share a flat in Deira, along with six others.

He said he now worried most about supporting his wife and five children at home, to whom he usually remits Dh3,000 a month.

“Actually, life is hard,” he said. “It is different than what we had before. We received some support from our company but also we have to take care of our families back home.

“The landlord is coming every week [asking for rent] and we’re telling him to wait and wait and that’s it."

Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

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Torque: 66Nm

Transmission: four-speed manual

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Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm

Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km

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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

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Stamp%20duty%20timeline
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Engine 60kwh FWD

Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry

Power 204hp Torque 360Nm

Price, base / as tested Dh174,500 

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Torque: 340Nm

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- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Key facilities
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  • Premier League-standard football pitch
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THE SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)

Power: 141bhp 

Torque: 250Nm 

Price: Dh64,500

On sale: Now

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.

•   Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.

•   Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.

•   Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.

•   Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.

•   Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.

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•   Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.

•   Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.

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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)
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SPECS
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Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

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The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888