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UAE expats stranded in India delighted as they can finally return to second home

Dubai - 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 been much happier if this was announced earlier, but, all the waiting has paid off."
John Thomas, whose daughter Caroline is studying at the Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) and has been stranded at the university hostel since March, said: "We are totally relieved. All the stress we've been feeling for so many months now. The agonising wait is over. I have two more daughters who have been anxiously waiting for their sister, and now they are ready to celebrate their summer holidays with her."
Thomas also said his wife is all set to prepare all of Caroline's favorite dishes in anticipation of her coming home. Pakistani national Ayesha Ajaib and her husband Mohammed Farhan have been stranded in Kolkata, India, since February 21. "Finally, some good news. We have been trying to return to our home in Dubai for months now, and it is finally happening."
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com