Indian expat in UAE who fell asleep at Dubai airport is now stranded

Mangalore Today News Network

Dubai, March 24, 2020:  A UAE resident who missed the last flight back to India on Sunday after falling asleep in the waiting area of Dubai Airport is stranded in Terminal 3 after flights were suspended and the UAE refused entry to residency visa holders as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus.

 

Arun Singh, 37, originally from Pune, who works in IT at a bank, had passed immigration and security and was due to board the 4am Emirates flight to Ahmedabad on March 22 — when he fell asleep in the waiting area and missed the final boarding call by a few minutes.

All flights have since been suspended for a renewable period of two weeks. He isn’t allowed to re-enter through arrivals to exit the airport because entry even by residency visa has also been suspended for the same time frame.

“It was an honest mistake,” Singh told Gulf News. “I just fell asleep as I’m so stressed. I’m getting a divorce so I was flying back to India to file it.

“Initially I was allowed back into the arrivals immigration hall but then they said entry was only for GCC nationals. I explained to them that I had fallen asleep and that it was an accident ...

“I’ve rung the Indian consulate but they don’t have any information, in fact they are asking me for updates and information that I don’t have.

“I can shower and the shops are open so I can buy food and I will need to buy some clothes because my luggage is not with me. Things are available, but they say after Wednesday everything will close in the airport, so I don’t know what will happen then,” he added.

Courtesy:Gulf News