Airlift to bring Emiratis home



ABU DHABI // Two private planes left Cairo yesterday on a rescue mission ordered by the President, Sheikh Khalifa, to bring back hundreds of Emiratis caught up in the protests.

Any UAE nationals remaining in Egypt were being urged to go immediately to Cairo airport.

Staff at the UAE Embassy in Cairo said the phones had been ringing non-stop, and many Emiratis were desperate to get home.

Around 400 left Egypt yesterday on two planes, one at 2pm and another at 5pm.

Some Emiratis have been complaining to the embassy about transport difficulties, saying some roads have been blocked.

In severe cases, the embassy has said help would be sent out to ensure their safety.

"We are telling all callers to rent a car and come to the airport here in Cairo," an embassy official said. Other arrangements were being made for Emiratis in Alexandria, he said.

More flights are expected to be arranged for today, although the number and times were not available. All Emiratis were urged to stay in close contact with the embassy on +20 23 776 6101/2/3.

Noura al Ali arrived in the Egyptian capital on holiday on Wednesday. At that point, she said, "everything was smooth".

Two days later she found herself locked in her hotel, while her friends were stuck outside in the choking tear gas.

"We stood on the balconies to watch the protests," said Ms al Ali, 25, an Emirati government worker.

From her vantage point she could see the fire and smoke billowing across Cairo, and hear the protesters' chants. The security booth in front of the hotel was overturned.

Her friends spent five hours stuck in the protests. "The tear gas reached them in the car and they were suffocating," she said.

At night, the hotel was locked down to keep vandals out.

Early on Saturday Ms al Ali and her 13 friends left for the airport in four cars to catch a 7am flight, which was then delayed for nine hours.

"A lot of foreigners were asking if we could take them with us," she said. They helped some to get to the airport, which was packed with people, many of whom had no flights out.

kshaheen@thenational.ae

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T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER

Results

UAE beat Nigeria by five wickets

Hong Kong beat Canada by 32 runs

Friday fixtures

10am, Tolerance Oval, Abu Dhabi – Ireland v Jersey

7.30pm, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi – Canada v Oman

Fixtures

Opening day Premier League fixtures for August 9-11

August 9

Liverpool v Norwich 11pm

August 10

West Ham v Man City 3.30pm

Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd 6pm

Burnley v Southampton 6pm

C Palace v Everton 6pm

Leicester v Wolves 6pm

Watford v Brighton 6pm

Tottenham v Aston Villa 8.30pm

August 11

Newcastle v Arsenal 5pm

Man United v Chelsea 7.30pm

 

if you go

The flights

Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.

The hotel

Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.

The tour

Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg

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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet

Price, base: Dh429,090

Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission Seven-speed automatic

Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km

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The specs
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Power: 310hp
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Full time contracts

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Part time contracts

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If you go...

Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.

Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50

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