Stranded expats delighted as they can return to second home

Stranded expats delighted as they can return to second home

Many have been separated from their jobs and their loved ones for months, and could not thank the UAE and Indian governments enough for making this possible.





After nearly four months of anxious waiting, UAE expats stranded in India have breathed a sigh of relief after India's civil aviation authority announced it will give UAE residents stuck in India a 15-day window to return home.

India's Ministry of Civil Aviation and national carrier Air India/Air India Express announced on Thursday that those with valid approvals from the UAE authorities can now return home to the UAE, starting July 12 to July 26.

Read: Returning to UAE from India? Get your Covid-19 tests done here

Air tickets on the Air India and Air India Express websites were displaying 'sold out' messages within hours of the reopening announcement as Indians rushed to book tickets to return to the UAE. Many have been separated from their jobs and their loved ones for months, and could not thank the UAE and Indian governments enough for making this possible.

Shariq Khan, a Dubai resident and owner and founder of Gravity Events Management, said: "It is definitely great news and I am relieved now. Of course, we would've