The Dubai Expat Diaries

Recent news have been dominated by the shutting down of the European airspace for days, which has happened for the first time in history, crippling the airline industry and leaving millions of travelers stranded around the globe. There are several stories of Dubai expatriates among others unable to return home, businesses suffering huge losses due to the grounding of all flights to and from the major destinations in Europe, hotels hiking up rates making the best of the situation and adding to the misery of those who have nowhere else to go and have no other means to return. The scale of this situation is astounding and almost everyone knows someone who has been affected directly or indirectly by the crisis.

But what is truly unnerving is the uncertainty of it all, there is no way to  tell when the volcanic eruption would come to an end or when the weather might help in changing the direction of the ash which so far has been drifting straight towards the heart of Europe. But there is some hope. Some of the European countries have decided to open their airspace partially and some of the flights have resumed since today morning.

Perhaps the most amazing thing to come out of all this is the resilience of the human spirit. There are many stories of hope and people traveling for days by buses, trains and ferries to return home. If you have been one of the unlucky ones and would like to share your story with us, please a comment!

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