DUBAI – The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA)reunited a young Pakistani driver with his parents after six years ofseparation.
Pakistani driver Tahir Ayoub was only 21 years old when he came to the UAEin 2012 to search for a better job and earn some income. He has been doingso without seeing his family, who reside in Peshawar in Pakistan, for thelast six years, Khaleej Times has reported.
“I didn’t have enough income to go home and see them. My mother alwaysasked me to come home and get married, but I’ve been working to save uphere,” Ayoub, now 27, told *Khaleej Times*.
Knowing his parents were going to perform Umrah in Makkah, his employer atthe Sharjah office arranged with GDRFA officials to help him reunite withhis parents during their four-hour transit at Dubai International Airportbefore they took their connecting flight to Pakistan.
Under the supervision of Lt. Col. Ibrahim Hamad, director of passportcontrol department, the team quickly arranged an appointment with theparents to see their son at a private hall in the passport control sectionof terminal 3. The meeting was set at 11:55pm, coinciding withInternational Happiness Day and the eve of Mother’s Day.
Upon seeing his mother, Ayoub broke down in tears as they both emotionallyembraced. “My mother has a very special place in my heart, and I couldn’thelp but cry upon seeing her. I had been upset I wouldn’t spend Mother’sDay with her but thankfully my wish to see her came true,” said Ayoub, whonow lives in Sharjah.
“You don’t get to appreciate what your mother truly is until you don’t haveher around any more,” smiled Ayoub as he recalled the incident.
He added, “I was so happy to see them, and they made a lot of prayers forme.”
Meanwhile, GDRFA officials said those present in the hall teared uponwatching the family’s emotional reunion and the parent’s embrace to theirelder son who left six years ago to ensure a better living in UAE.