Indian couple in UAE since 1978 say heartfelt goodbye

Gulf News

When Indian expat Albert Barretto came to the UAE in 1978, he expected to stay only a few years. But he ended up spending 42 years. Now, he and his wife Gracy Barretto are returning home after their retirement.  Read the full story: https://bit.ly/3lGml3J  See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km  #Indian #India #UAE

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00:00I have already completed 42 years of service in the UAE and my wife has also retired after 36

00:07years of service in the UAE. We feel like now is the right time to return to India.

00:15After I completed my technical studies, I was very much interested in working on a ship.

00:21I tried very hard for a job opportunity related to my field on the ship. However,

00:27one fine day, I got an interview call for a job in the Gulf and it was in Sharjah, UAE.

00:34And this is how I embarked on my journey to the UAE in 1978. During my studies,

00:41when we would discuss the topic about working in the Gulf among friends, I would always tell them

00:46that I wouldn't work for more than five years abroad. But UAE has been such a safe and secure

00:52place that I managed to bring my family and settle here. We became so comfortable here that

00:58it feels like our second home with my children and grandchildren growing up and residing here

01:04in the safe atmosphere. This place was more or less like a desert. Back then, I remember the

01:09bottle building in Abu Shagara being the tallest building in Sharjah. There were also cafeterias

01:14of wooden structure located kilometers apart where people would wind up for snacks, lunch or dinner.

01:22We would visit the Gold Souk, which was the only mall to spend time for leisure during weekends.

01:30We were also fortunate enough to be able to practice our religion at the Saint Michael's

01:35Church. There was sharing and engaged taxes in those days. Sharing taxes costed AED1 for a ride

01:42to anywhere in Sharjah, while engaged taxes costed AED5. A ride from Sharjah to Dubai also costed

01:50just AED5 in those days. The way UAE has progressed and developed, it is unimaginable.

01:57Day by day, we feel more safe and secure and it has become a playground for young generation

02:03to develop and compete. I have already completed 42 years of service in the UAE and my wife

02:11has also retired after 36 years of service in the UAE. We feel like now is the right time to return

02:18to India. We know both our children along with their families are settled here and hope they

02:24will also have a safe and successful future in the UAE. I would like to thank my wife,

02:30children and their families for giving me such a wonderful time in the UAE. I'm grateful to the

02:35government officials, frontline workers and people of UAE for making me stay in the UAE safe

02:42and pleasant. God bless UAE.

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