Dubai welcomes Lebanese residents with flowers, message of hope
Following last week’s deadly explosion in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, Dubai greeted its Lebanese residents at the airport with white roses.
Dubai Customs has found a touching way to show support for Lebanese people arriving at its airports.
The first travelers to arrive from Beirut following the massive explosion there, 163 people who arrived at Terminal 3 on an Emirates flight, were greeted with flowers and a special message from Sheikh Zayed, the United Arab Emirates' founding father: “Rebuilding Lebanon is like rebuilding the UAE.”
Humaid Al Haj, senior inspections officer for Dubai Customs, said, “The program has been going on for three days. We have handed out roses and messages to more than 600 people coming off flights from Beirut on Emirates Airlines.”
“The people’s reaction was amazing; many were crying. I stopped and spoke to many people; even children were crying," he added. “Of course, we are so happy as we feel they had someone standing with them and they came to our country. We support them with their situation in Beirut. We want the Lebanese people to feel they are coming to a safe country and we are their brothers and sisters,” Al Haj told Al-Monitor.
