UAE: Some Lebanese expats rush home, pay double for flight tickets as ceasefire gives relief

When Roy Asmar (name changed on request) heard about the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, his eyes filled with tears of gratitude. He and his fiancée had put their plans to get married on hold ever since the war broke out. Now, they have spent a whopping Dh11,000 to book tickets back home.

“Honestly, it felt like God had heard my prayers,” he told Khaleej Times. “I immediately looked online for tickets, and they had skyrocketed. Usually during high season, the most I have paid for a round-trip ticket was Dh2,000 or so. Now, it has more than doubled and one way was Dh4,500. I ended up paying Dh5,500 each for a round-trip ticket for me and my fiancée.”

However, despite the costs, Roy is happy. “We have always dreamt of a winter wedding in our hometown surrounded by those closest to us,” he said. “We wanted to get married this December but for so many months it seemed impossible. At one point we thought we would bring our parents here but even the trip to and from the airport was risky. We tried to think of so many alternatives, but the risk was too high.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

"We wanted to get married in a church in our hometown and then celebrate Christmas together. Now our dream has come true”

Roy admitted that a break in the fighting seemed very unlikely even last week. “The fighting had intensified, and my fiancée admitted she felt like there was no end in sight,” he said. “But somewhere inside my heart I felt like they would have a ceasefire during Christmas. I am so glad my gut feeling turned out to be true. For now, we haven’t told anyone about our plans except our families, which is why we prefer to remain anonymous. The plan is to have a celebration with friends later.”

On Wednesday, Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire, under a deal brokered by the U.S. and France after 14 months of fighting, spurred by the Gaza war. Lebanese citizens returned to their shattered homes to begin rebuilding their lives.

Relieved but worried

Dubai resident Ayoub Merhi said he put his phone down when he heard of the ceasefire. “For the last few months, I have been glued to social media and news stations, scouring for latest updates about the war,” he said. His family, including his aged parents, had been displaced because of the war and constant bombing.

• 2 UAE relief planes land in Beirut with gift for Lebanese mothers