Feras's home town, Deraa, was the scene of the first mass protests last year, and three days later, of the first killing of protesters.
From then, and for the rest of March and April, the city's phones were cut off, leaving relatives abroad to imagine the worst.
Feras, who lives in Abu Dhabi, remembers being in "hell". "I could not call my family, mum, or dad, or my brothers or sisters," he said. "It was driving me crazy, but I reached a point when I thought if they died, they are martyrs, and it is meant to be, there is nothing I can do."
Despite trying every five minutes for weeks, he did not manage to get through to his mother until April.
And although the situation in Deraa had worsened, just speaking to her was a great relief.
Since then communication has improved, although the phone lines remain unreliable and are almost always disconnected at the weekend.
"With Deraa, the majority from there live outside the country," he said. "So being able to call family is important."
But in March, those calls included a constant background of the sounds of gunshots and shelling.
"Every three hours they would hear something. Some villages, like Bosra Al Harir, once a tourist destination as it has Roman archeology sites, have been completely destroyed.Some Free Syrian Army videos show their faces or roads, which is a big mistake, that makes it so easy to bomb the area, or where they live. But so far my family has been OK."
Of his extended family living in other areas, 20 have died. "They are martyrs now. Before I would get very upset, but no more. This was their destiny."
* Ola Salem, with additional reporting by Zaineb Al Hassani
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Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
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COMPANY PROFILE
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Started: 2021
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Sector: Water technology
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How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019
December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”
November 26: ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’
SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue.
SL thanked the panellists for their efforts. "Indeed, I have some clarity on the consequence of the case and the next steps to take regarding my situation," he says. "Hopefully, I will be able to provide a positive testimony soon."
October 15: 'I lost my job and left the UAE owing Dh71,000. Can I return?'
MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.
“The insolvency law is indeed a relief to hear,” he says. "I will not apply for insolvency at this stage. I have been able to pay something towards my loan and credit card. As it stands, I only have a one-month deficit, which I will be able to recover by the end of December."
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
