Dubai: Tears flowed at Dubai International Airport on Tuesday as a son met his parents after six years.
A Pakistani expatriate living in Dubai, who had not seen his parents in six years, couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw his father and mother standing before him at the airport, thanks to a surprise reunification organised by staff at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).
In a special case, GDRFA staff allowed the parents to meet their son while they were transiting on a four-hour layover through Dubai en route from Jeddah to Karachi, Pakistan. They had gone to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.
Transiting passengers are not usually allowed to meet with anyone from outside the airport while they wait for connecting flights.
However, before the travel day, the son’s government-owned employer contacted GDRFA Dubai asking for help so the son could meet his parents.
Staff at GDRFA approved and told the son to be at the airport on Tuesday shortly before midnight.
Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, director of GDRFA, said the son met his mother in the last five minutes of Happiness Day and the meeting extended till after midnight, which heralded Mother’s Day.
“We wanted to make the son and his parents happy. Serving people is the true meaning of happiness,” Maj Gen Al Merri said.
Lt Col Ebrahim Hamad, director of Passport Control in GDRFA Dubai, organised the meeting in the passport control section at Terminal 3.
