i was just thinking:
this is
TOTAL SPECULATION, btw
but, what if instead of a Mauritius leg, and instead of just staying in the U.A.E. for two legs, they went to a nearby Arabic country such as Qatar or Bahrain?
and what if they used other means to get there and back (such as a ferry)?
they could potentially get to one of those countries, complete a leg, and arrive back in the u.a.e. in time for steffiesunrise's sighting
the ferry scenario could also explain why she saw the team at a hotel and not at the airport (if said hotel was on the way to the airport)
haven't done too much research on this possibility, just a random thought that i thought could be worth sharing with the group...