‘Uncle lands Pakistan before I get home’: Man’s hilarious post sums up UAE traffic woes

Traffic congestion in the UAE is a daily struggle, but one man’s experience has left social media users in splits. After dropping his uncle at the airport, Zarar Cheema found himself trapped in heavy traffic for so long that his uncle’s flight to Pakistan landed before he could even reach home.

In a video shared on Instagram, Cheema is seen sitting in his car, barely moving. The caption reads, “Dropped my uncle at the airport, he reached Pakistan. I didn’t even reach Sharjah.”

The relatable clip, posted on October 27, quickly went viral with over 21,000 views. Many UAE residents found the situation all too familiar, calling it “too real” and “peak UAE traffic.”

Flights from Sharjah to Pakistan typically take between two and three hours — around 2 hours 30 minutes to Karachi, 2 hours 45 minutes to Lahore, and roughly 3 hours to Islamabad. Yet, Cheema was still stuck navigating the gridlock.

Whether it’s Sheikh Zayed Road, E311, Hessa Street, or that one signal that never seems to change, drivers across the UAE could relate to the frustration of watching Google Maps extend their ETA endlessly.

Here's how social media users reacted

Instagram users filled the comments section with laughter and witty remarks. One wrote, “Every day I spend 4 hours in traffic and stand for 10 hours at work. Honestly, I’m exhausted.”

Another joked, “You should also take a flight from Dubai to Sharjah, you may also reach before your uncle.”

A third quipped, “In the near future, people from Pakistan can leave home morning around 7 am and reach the office in UAE by 9 am.”*

Someone else added, “You should go with him, Pakistan has dinner, then take a flight back to Sharjah.”

While the humour resonated with many, others pointed out the serious issue of worsening traffic congestion across the Emirates.