Most of the Pakistanis stranded in Dubai after record-breaking rainfall in Dubai, UAE, have been evacuated, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday.

“Most of Pakistanis stranded in Dubai have left for Pakistan. Around 150 passengers left for Multan and Karachi,” he said in a long post on social media platform X. “As per latest information, remaining 2 stranded Pakistani passengers will be departing from Dubai to their destinations latest by evening.”

Earlier this week, Dubai, a city in the desert proud of its modern gloss, received record-breaking rainfall. Dubai International Airport, a major travel hub, struggled to clear a backlog of flights and many roads were still flooded in the aftermath of Tuesday’s deluge.

The rains were the heaviest experienced by the United Arab Emirates in the 75 years that records have been kept. They brought much of the country to a standstill and caused significant damage.

The city is facing the towering task of clearing its waterclogged roads and drying out flooded homes two days after a record storm saw a year’s rainfall in a day.

By Tuesday evening, more than 142 mm (5.59 inches) of rainfall had poured over Dubai over 24 hours. An average year sees 94.7 mm (3.73 inches) in Dubai, according to the points of report shared by the defence minister.

Asif said that 24/7 helplines were established both at the Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai after the alarming situation.

According to rough estimate, 60,000 passengers from various nationalities were stranded only at Dubai airport.

“Around 150 Pakistani nationals, travelling on PIA and Airblue flights, were also stranded in Dubai,” he wrote in his post. It added that Pakistan Consulate teams “regularly” visited airport and provided the people with food, medicines as well as milk and pampers for small children.

Such people were in the transit area, with no possibility of taking them outside as most of them had exhausted their visit visas.

The ambassador was in contact with the aviation secretary in Islamabad to arrange an extra Air Blue to take around 130 passengers who had earlier booked their flights on Airblue, Asif said and added that the flight could not land due to severe weather conditions and halt of flight operations.

“The Embassy made arrangement for the transportation of around 150 passengers stranded at Al Ain Airport to Dubai to ensure their onward journey to Madina and other destinations,” it said and added that a number of Pakistanis who are travelling from the US and European countries were facing difficulties in getting further connections to Pakistan due to uncertain flight schedule, especially of Emirates Airlines.

The consulate also assisted former Pakistani cricketers Misbahul Haq, Abdur Razzaq, Umer Gul and Kamran Akmal stranded at the Dubai airport due to a delayed flight en route to Houston, USA.