Nearly 300 expats, mostly from India, who were stranded in the UAE have been provided free accommodation and food. They were stranded after Saudi Arabia and Kuwait closed their borders to prevent the spread of the new mutated strain of Covid-19 that is spreading rapidly in the United Kingdom, Local media reported.
According to media reports, these expats have taken an indirect route of flying via the UAE to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait since there were no direct flights from their home countries.
The report said Dubai Markaz Centre’s volunteers’ wing Indian Cultural Foundation (ICF) tied up with construction firm Aasa Group to arrange free accommodation and food to the stranded passengers.
A majority of the 300 stranded expats are from Kerala, said Abdul Salam Saquafi, ICF public relations manager was quoted as saying by PTI.
These people were reportedly caught off guard with the news about flight suspensions in their countries of residence, after finishing a 14-day mandatory quarantine in hotels and other paid accommodation in the UAE.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have closed their land and sea borders and suspended commercial flights over fears about the new coronavirus strain, which is spreading fast in the UK.