Helen Smit has received approval to return to UAE but her daughter, 11-year-old Ffion, has not. Courtesy: Helen Smit
Helen Smit has received approval to return to UAE but her daughter, 11-year-old Ffion, has not. Courtesy: Helen Smit
Helen Smit has received approval to return to UAE but her daughter, 11-year-old Ffion, has not. Courtesy: Helen Smit
Helen Smit has received approval to return to UAE but her daughter, 11-year-old Ffion, has not. Courtesy: Helen Smit

Coronavirus: UAE puts key workers stranded abroad on priority list


Kelly Clarke
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UAE residents who were stranded abroad when the borders closed last month have begun to receive permission to return to the Emirates.

Teachers, healthcare staff and airline workers were among those to be placed on a priority list, as were university students separated from their families.

Each received an electronic receipt confirming their consent to fly from officials in Abu Dhabi.

But at present, there are no special flights to bring residents home and many expect to have to wait until commercial flights resume.

Of the 17 residents that The National reached who were given permission, all were in the job categories listed, apparently placing them at the front of a queue.

It is definitely a big step towards getting back to the UAE, but I am still unsure of how to go about returning

But in some cases parents who work in the essential sectors were given permission to travel, while their children were not. In one case, an airline pilot stranded in Europe with his 7-year-old daughter said he was given the green light to travel, but she was not.

And teacher, Helen Smit, said her daughter was still waiting to be approved too.

"I felt so relieved when I received approval as I've been checking my emails several times a day hoping for some good news," the Welsh national told The National.

“The thought of being reunited with my 2-year-old son and husband in the UAE was overwhelming as I miss them so much.

“Unfortunately, my 11-year-old daughter who is with me has not been approved and has been rejected again, so now I feel anxious as to when she will be allowed to fly. I cannot travel without her.”

Ms Smit, a teacher at British School Khuzam in Ras Al Khaimah, left the UAE on March 12 to visit her elderly mother in the UK. They were due to return to the UAE on March 20. All in bound and outbound flights were cancelled on March 19.

The mother-of-two received approval through the government's registration service, Tawajudi or 'My Location', on Tuesday, April 28 but was not given details of how and when to book flights.

Sophie B, 26, a British teacher, received confirmation from Tawajudi earlier this week.

“I'm very happy to be approved, it is definitely a big step towards getting back to the UAE, but I am still unsure of how to go about returning,” said Sophie, who works in Dubai and asked that her surname not be used.

“There has been no announcement on this front.”

Student Manal Muhammed, 19, was given permission to fly but must wait on inbound flights to resume
Student Manal Muhammed, 19, was given permission to fly but must wait on inbound flights to resume

For more than a month she has taught pupils remotely, standing in front of a laptop at her parents' home in the UK.

“Apart from a sporadic internet connection and having to get up at 4am every day, it has not been too problematic," she said.

Manal Muhammed, 19, was among the students to find themselves stuck abroad. The Sri Lankan left the UAE to pursue her studies at Monash University in Melbourne.

It was her first time living away from Dubai, where she was born and raised.

She received approval two weeks ago and said she hoped that special flights may be allowed to fly despite the aviation shutdown.

Emirates has begun limited outbound flights to key destinations but no inbound flights bringing passengers to UAE.

Etihad was due to begin flights in May but pushed operations back to mid-June earlier this week.

“I was under the impression that once I got approval, I would be allowed to go home on a special flight as soon as possible,” Ms Muhammed said.

"It looks like everyone who has gotten approval has been told the same thing ‘book when normal flights resume’."

She said she felt “grateful for approval” and understands the efforts to contain Covid-19, but was eager to get home.

“I want nothing more than to be back with my parents during this time, especially for Ramadan,” she said.

“But it looks like it will be quite a while before I will be back with them though, weeks if not months."

Another resident, a Canadian university lecturer who asked not to be named, said she was given approval but her children have not been.

“I left Dubai for Canada on March 10 with my kids and we were supposed to return on March 19 at 6pm, a few hours before the flight ban,” said the professor.

“I was denied boarding at the airport in Canada.

“I filled out the latest forms on April 13 and I got approved on April 17, but my kids, both minors, have not.

“I’m a professor in Dubai so I think that may have something to do with my approval, but I have not heard any further details since."

Abdullah Ehsan and his mother, Afshan, said they are looking forward to reuniting. Courtesy: Afshan Ehsan
Abdullah Ehsan and his mother, Afshan, said they are looking forward to reuniting. Courtesy: Afshan Ehsan

The news Tuesday that Dubai could reopen for tourists as early as July has given residents abroad some hope, though said they July was a long way off.

Afshan Ehsan, from Pakistan, said her son, Abdullah, was given approval to fly in March, but more than a month later, he was yet to travel.

"My son is 20 and is stranded in London where he was studying," she said.

"We registered on Tawajudi on March 21 and got a call from the Ministry on March 26 saying he was approved to return to the UAE but only when Emirates and Etihad flights resume.

"They told us his name would be on the Arrival Passenger Information list.

"We plead to the government to please let him come back soon."

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
'Morbius'

Director: Daniel Espinosa 

Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona

Rating: 2/5

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

MATCH INFO

Burnley 1 (Brady 89')

Manchester City 4 (Jesus 24', 50', Rodri 68', Mahrez 87')

Gully Boy

Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi​​​​​​​
Rating: 4/5 stars

The permutations for UAE going to the 2018 World Cup finals

To qualify automatically

UAE must beat Iraq.

Australia must lose in Japan and at home to Thailand, with their losing margins and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.

Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.

 

To finish third and go into a play-off with the other third-placed AFC side for a chance to reach the inter-confederation play-off match

UAE must beat Iraq.

Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO

Liverpool 3

Sadio Man 28'

Andrew Robertson 34'

Diogo Jota 88'

Arsenal 1

Lacazette 25'

Man of the match

Sadio Mane (Liverpool)

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Mobile phone packages comparison
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

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
Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final

Kashima Antlers 3 (Nagaki 49’, Serginho 69’, Abe 84’)
Guadalajara 2 (Zaldivar 03’, Pulido 90')

RESULT

West Brom 2 Liverpool 2
West Brom: Livermore (79'), Rondón (88' ) 
Liverpool: Ings (4'), Salah (72') 

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.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog

Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists. 

Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.

Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic 

While you're here
The cost of Covid testing around the world

Egypt

Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists

Information can be found through VFS Global.

Jordan

Dh212

Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.

Cambodia

Dh478

Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.

Zanzibar

AED 295

Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.

Abu Dhabi

Dh85

Abu Dhabi’s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.

UK

From Dh400

Heathrow Airport now offers drive through and clinic-based testing, starting from Dh400 and up to Dh500 for the PCR test.

Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

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Premier Futsal 2017 Finals

Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side

Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado

'Top Gun: Maverick'

Rating: 4/5

 

Directed by: Joseph Kosinski

 

Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris

 
What%20is%20Dungeons%20%26%20Dragons%3F%20
%3Cp%3EDungeons%20%26amp%3B%20Dragons%20began%20as%20an%20interactive%20game%20which%20would%20be%20set%20up%20on%20a%20table%20in%201974.%20One%20player%20takes%20on%20the%20role%20of%20dungeon%20master%2C%20who%20directs%20the%20game%2C%20while%20the%20other%20players%20each%20portray%20a%20character%2C%20determining%20its%20species%2C%20occupation%20and%20moral%20and%20ethical%20outlook.%20They%20can%20choose%20the%20character%E2%80%99s%20abilities%2C%20such%20as%20strength%2C%20constitution%2C%20dexterity%2C%20intelligence%2C%20wisdom%20and%20charisma.%20In%20layman%E2%80%99s%20terms%2C%20the%20winner%20is%20the%20one%20who%20amasses%20the%20highest%20score.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
LAST 16 DRAW

Borussia Dortmund v PSG

Real Madrid v Manchester City

Atalanta v Valencia

Atletico Madrid v Liverpool

Chelsea v Bayern Munich

Lyon v Juventus

Tottenham v Leipzig

Napoli v Barcelona

MATCH INFO

 

Maratha Arabians 107-8 (10 ovs)

Lyth 21, Lynn 20, McClenaghan 20 no

Qalandars 60-4 (10 ovs)

Malan 32 no, McClenaghan 2-9

Maratha Arabians win by 47 runs

Bookshops: A Reader's History by Jorge Carrión (translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush),
Biblioasis

HEADLINE HERE
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Dates for the diary

To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:

  • September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
  • October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
  • October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
  • November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
  • December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
  • February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
New schools in Dubai