The second in the series of chartered flights arranged by Thumbay Group, UAE and the Bearys Cultural Forum (BCF) Trust, Mangalore to repatriate stranded Kannadigas in the UAE took off from Ras Al Khaimah International Airport on 25^th July 2020. The flight was fully occupied with 178 passengers including the sick and elderly as well as those in need of urgent medical attention due to chronic illnesses, pregnant ladies and kids. Passengers also included those facing visa issues and job losses.

Implemented under the leadership of Dr. Thumbay Moideen – Founder President of Thumbay Group & Founder Patron of BCF and Dr. B K Yusuf – President of BCF, these repatriation flights are organized on a purely charitable basis, with all necessary steps and precautions in place to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers. Thumbay Group assigned its fleet of buses to transport the passengers free of charge from their residences in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman to the airport. The organizers also provided free meals and refreshments to the passengers, in addition to PPE kits and face-shields distributed free of charges.

Dr. B K Yusuf – BCF President, Dr. Kaup Mohammed – BCF General Secretary, other office bearers of BCF, as well as Thumbay Group’s representatives Mr. Farhad C – Director of the Hospitality Division of Thumbay Group and Engr. Farwaz P. C. – COO of the Construction Division were present at the airport to see off the second group of passengers. ARISTOCRAT Travels supported the ticketing, boarding and related processes for the passengers. Support was also extended by social organizations including KCF-UAE, Bhatkal Jamath, Bhatkal association, BCCI, BWF, DKSC, KNRI, Kannadiga Help Line, KDKGS-UAE, Dubai Konkans, KSS and Dubai Kannadigas.

The passengers were received at Mangalore airport under the leadership of Mr. Mumtaz Ali – patron of BCF and other distinguished personalities of Mangalore including Mr. B. M. Farookh – Hon. MLC, Mr. Moidin Bava – former MLA, Mr. U. T. Ifthikhar, Mr. S. M. R. Rashid – President of BCCI central committee etc.  The passengers were transferred to the hotels where they had registered for the mandatory quarantine.

The first flight in the series, with 186 passengers had taken off on 21^st July 2020. The next flight under this joint initiative is scheduled to take-off from Ras Al Khaimah airport to Mangalore on 10^th August 2020. A few more similar repatriation flights are to soon follow, in the coming weeks.

In a humanitarian gesture to help fellow citizens in distress, the first in the series of chartered flights arranged by Thumbay Group, UAE and the Bearys Cultural Forum (BCF) Trust, Mangalore to repatriate stranded Kannadigas in the UAE took off from Ras Al Khaimah International Airport in the wee hours of 21^st July 2020. The flight was fully occupied, with 186 passengers, all of them desperate to fly back to India for various reasons.

The initiative was conceived and implemented under the leadership of Dr. Thumbay Moideen – Founder President of Thumbay Group & Founder Patron of BCF and Dr. B K Yusuf, the President of BCF. The flight was organized on a purely charitable basis, with all necessary steps and precautions in place to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers. Thumbay Group assigned its fleet of buses to transport the passengers free of charge from their residences in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman to the airport. The organizers also provided free meals and refreshments to the passengers, in addition to PPE kits and face-shields distributed free of charges.

The passengers on the first flight included many elderly individuals, people with serious illnesses like heart-related health issues and diabetes, pregnant ladies and little children as well as people who had lost their jobs and those with expired visas. Dr. B K Yusuf – BCF President, Dr. Kaup Mohammed – BCF General Secretary, other office bearers of BCF, as well as Thumbay Group’s representatives Mr. Farhad C – Director of the Hospitality Division of Thumbay Group and Engr. Farwaz P. C. – COO of the Construction Division were present at the airport to see off the first group of passengers.

Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Thumbay Moideen said, “This joint initiative of Thumbay Group and BCF is to support our fellow Kannadigas desperate to fly back home. We are happy that we have been able to reach out to many of them, to help them fly home to their families. We thank the Governments of the UAE and India, and the Indian Consulate, Dubai, for their support in making this happen. In the coming days, many more stranded Kannadigas would be repatriated under this joint initiative.”

Dr. B K Yusuf thanked Dr. Thumbay Moideen and the office-bearers and members of BCF for their efforts to make the initiative a success. “We are proud that this initiative has brought relief to many Kannadigas and their families today. BCF is grateful to Thumbay Group for its support and partnership for all our humanitarian programs for the support of the needy.”

Dr. Kaup Mohammed said that it was a matter of pride that the much-awaited Thumbay-BCF repatriation flight had been carried out successfully. “Measures have been taken to ensure the safety of the flight and its passengers throughout the journey,” he said. He also thanked all the social organizations including Bhatkal Jamath, BCCI, BWF, KCF, DKSC, Kodagu Kannadigas, Kannadiga Help Line, Dubai Konkans and KSS,   for their support.  He specially thanked Mr. Syed Hassan Razeen, the owner of ARISTOCRAT Travels for his support in the ticketing, boarding and related processes. On behalf of Milano Optics Group and Maxcare, free gift hampers were distributed to selected passengers.

The passengers were received at Mangalore airport under the leadership of Mr. Mumtaz Ali – patron of BCF and other distinguished personalities of Mangalore including Mr. Moidin Bava – former MLA, Mr U. T. Ifthikhar, Mr. S. M. R Rashid – President of BCCI central committee and many others.  The passengers were transferred to the hotels where they had registered for the mandatory quarantine.

The second flight under this joint initiative is scheduled to take-off from Ras Al Khaimah airport to Mangalore on 24^th July 2020. A few more similar repatriation flights are to soon follow, in the coming weeks.

The biggest Indian vegetarian restaurant chain, ‘Saravanaa Bhavan’ has opened its latest outlet at the multi-cuisine Thumbay Food Court at Thumbay Medicity, Ajman. Saravanaa Bhavan was initiated with humble beginnings in 1981, Chennai, Tamil Nadu by Mr. P. Rajagopal and has become the world’s largest South Indian vegetarian restaurant chain. With the explosion of growth and popularity over the years by maintaining the superior taste and quality, presently, it boasts over 100 branches scattered across regions such as Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America.

Saravanaa Bhavan’s policy and strategy as enuciated by the CEO, Mr. Shiva Kumar are as follows:

• To conceive, create and maintain dishes of superior taste and genuine quality.
• To offer its food and services at a value-for-money price point.
• To motivate and support members of its teams at all levels.
• To continuously grow profitably with a keen sense of social responsibility.

This is the second restaurant to open at the food court, preceded by ‘The Terrace Restaurant’, a HACCP certified (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) Indo-Arab restaurant operated by the Hospitality Division of Thumbay Group. Prof. Manda Venkatramana, Vice Chancellor – Academics of Gulf Medical University, Ajman was the chief guest of the opening ceremony, in the presence of Mr. Farhad C., Director of Thumbay Group’s Hospitality Division.

Mr. Farhad C said that the addition of Saravanaa Bhavan has ensured that a variety of choices are available for customers, when it comes to selecting their favorite food. Announcing that a popular Arabic restaurant is slated to open its outlet at the Food Court shortly, he said, “Apart from our promise of best quality and taste, ensuring a safe dining environments for guests is the utmost priority at Thumbay Food Court. We have taken special measures to ensure the safety of diners and staff, in the light of the pandemic. We welcome everyone to experience the perfect ambience to enjoy a meal with family and friends.”

Thumbay Food Court’s multi-cuisine food court was inaugurated at Thumbay Medicity, Ajman last year. It offers a unique culinary experience as it features vibrant flavors of India and the Arab world, in a splendid ambience complemented by spacious seating and cozy interiors. The food court is designed in line with the ‘Live & Learn’ concept, to benefit the students and faculty of Gulf Medical University as well as visitors and staff from various hospitals within the surroundings, by facilitating greater social, academic, professional and intellectual interactions to enrich the learning environment.

The food court has enhanced the aesthetics with premium lighting, contemporary architecture and seating that accommodates 250 people. It mainly serves the anticipated 20,000+ floating population of Thumbay Medicity. It also has a meeting/conference hall for gatherings and parties. The location of the food court makes it accessible for people from within the hospital as well as outside, with free parking available for vehicles.