Many Pakistanis including cricketers stranded at Dubai airport

DUBAI: Heavy rains in Dubai have caused widespread disruption to flight operations, leaving Pakistan cricketers and numerous other passengers stranded at airports and facing hardships.

More than two hundred Pakistanis are trapped at the airport due to the torrential rains in Dubai.

Former cricket captain Misbahul Haq and Kamran Akmal, along with other Pakistanis, were among those affected by the flight delays and cancellations.

Misbahul Haq and Kamran Akmal, who were travelling to the US via Dubai, found themselves waiting for hours at the airport due to the disrupted flight operations.

Expressing their frustration, Misbah mentioned that they had to stand in line for half a day just to speak to airport staff, highlighting the lack of assistance and accommodations for stranded passengers. 

Akmal also posted on his X account decrying the service by an Emirarti airlines. 

Pakistan likely to experience moderate to intense weather system till April 29

Similarly, passengers travelling from Madinah to Dubai via Kuwait after performing Umrah were left stranded at the Kuwait airport for two days due to the closure of Dubai airport. 

Over 50 Pakistani passengers faced distressing conditions at the Kuwait airport, where they were left unattended without proper accommodations. These passengers had to reach Dubai from Madinah via Kuwait after performing Umrah. However, due to the closure of the Dubai airport, the foreign airline left them at the Kuwait airport.

Reportedly, the Indian and Nepali passengers of the flight were sent to hotels, while the Pakistani passengers were left unattended at the airport. Elderly women, children, and sick passengers were forced to sleep on the airport floor, with no response from Pakistani consulate authorities in Kuwait. 

In a plea for assistance, passengers appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for help, as they continued to endure the ordeal without adequate support.

Rains lashed the UAE earlier this week, breaking 75-year records and causing major highways to be submerged by water.

The airport said on Thursday morning it had resumed receiving inbound flights at Terminal 1, used by foreign carriers, but that flights continue to be delayed and disrupted.

The airport struggled to get food to stranded passengers with nearby roads blocked by flood waters, and because of overcrowding limited access to those who had confirmed bookings.

The storm, which hit neighbouring Oman on Sunday, pounded the UAE on Tuesday, flooding roads and causing hours-long gridlock as rainwater inundated homes. One person was reported dead in the UAE and 20 in Oman.