Stories that moved the UAE

In touch with the people

Alia Al Theeb
January 5, 2011

“This is one of the most touching stories I have seen in my career as a journalist. The fact that the leader of a nation can travel all the way to see his people, and then sit on the road to have a chat with an elderly citizen is the story of a lifetime. It does not happen and it is very rare.
“The picture of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, talking to Mohammad Salem Khamis Al Ka’abi while sitting on the ground touches you instantly. And at that very moment you know this is a great story about a leader, his care for his people, and about a citizen who never dreamt he would see this day.
“The initial pictures were filed by WAM [the UAE news agency]. We decided it would be great if we could track Al Ka’abi down and speak to him, which we did. The story obviously touched the hearts of our readers. When we look back, it still brings a smile to our face. Sadly, he passed away in January 2011. We covered that too.”                         — Meher Murshed, Senior Hub Editor and Alia Al Theeb’s editor at the time of this report

 
Hoping for jail... for a meal

Mazhar Farooqui, Deputy Editor, XPRESS
June 16, 2011

“This man had no money left, his family was starving and his kids were sleeping in the park. As a last resort, he borrowed Dh30 from a friend and took a cab to our office, asking XPRESS to put this story out.
“This story stood out because he is a Pakistani man who married an Indian woman and he lost his job because he worked for her uncle — because they are from different communities and different countries.
“There came a time when they had no money left. They approached the Dubai police and asked if they could be put in jail so they would at least have something to eat.
“We ran the story and, believe me, in less than 24 hours, we received approximately 1,600 emails and phone calls and people drove here to the office in the middle of night from as far away as Al Ain and Fujairah, offering help. He got at least seven or eight job offers in the first few hours.
“And it wasn’t only money. A Filipino woman offered to teach the children because they missed school and another woman donated a crib, strollers and baby food.
“For the first time we saw people from various nationalities crossing barriers to help their fellow humans. I could not capture the plight of the family in my article, because it was so bad that I did not have the words to describe it. But I think we did a good job at the end of the day. The father still calls me and everything is fine now.”
 

The man who donated Dh38 million to Rashid Hospital

Sharmila Dhal, Senior Reporter, XPRESS
December 12, 2012

“We received a press release from the Dubai Health Authority that mentioned a donation for the expansion of Rashid Hospital. I called back, but they said that this gentleman wanted to remain anonymous. I asked them if it was possible to speak to the gentleman because we would love to highlight what he had done. They asked him and he agreed.
“Even when I went to meet him, he was literally one of the most humble people I had ever encountered.
“After this story was published, this man has gone on to do many other charitable things. He is not someone who is seeking publicity. He sits in a modest office in Deira. Even down to the employees in his company, I heard that he would help anybody who walks into his office. He is a generous soul.
“What this man has done is definitely inspiring. When I was working on this piece, it was not with the intention to make a great impact. I just wanted to tell the story of a man who had given back to the country. We got calls from different kinds of people telling us this a good story and about what a great man he is. There are many people out here who want to help; it’s just a question of bridging the gap between the people in need and the people who want to reach out.”
 

Father of four appeals for help for starving family

Janice Ponce de Leon, Reporter
April 9, 2013
“I was assigned to do a special report on volunteering and I followed a social worker for two days. Incidentally, she was supposed to visit this family on one of her daily visits.
“What moved me when I met them was when the mum told me the kids had not gone out and visited a park, or even been to school. These are things we all take for granted.
“It is very difficult to hold your tears when a mother tells  you she can’t feed her five-month-old baby because she doesn’t have money.
“They were not very comfortable with us writing about them — they were scared and did not trust us yet. Two or three months later, the Valley of Love charity called me to talk about the family, so I went to visit them.
“I did not want to write the piece showing a family begging for help. I wanted to write the story of a dad who wanted to provide for his family, but could not because of his situation.
“I had a small idea that this story would move people because after the interview, I saw our photographer, Virendra Saklani, tuck some bills into the dad’s pocket. He refused at first, but Virendra said, “No, this is for the kids.”
That’s when I knew it would touch people’s hearts. Whenever we write stories of families appealing for help, it is heart-warming to see people responding right away. It says a lot about people’s generosity here in the UAE.”

Dubai Municipality launches campaign to slash 500m plastic bags

Derek Baldwin, Chief Reporter
April 23, 2013

“I remember the story we broke five years ago about the plight of camels in UAE deserts. It is amazing how a single story made an impact and united people that care about the environment across the country, and now the Dubai Municipality’s ‘Say No to Plastic Bags’ campaign aims to reduce the number of plastic bags circulated in the emirate in the coming years. It is stories such as these that galvanise people into caring for the environment.
“When I was writing these pieces, and their follow-ups, I never thought they would have such an impact on the public and result in an official campaign by Dubai Municipality. As journalists, it’s tough — we do put a lot of effort into these and all we can do is be the messengers. Investigative journalism usually results in action.
“I remember the first time I saw a dead animal in the desert; it was a donkey that died because of eating plastic. I was shocked to see the devastation that something as simple as plastic can bring to a pristine environment such as the desert.
“The Dubai Municipality deserves a lot of credit for taking action on the issue on plastic bags. Remember, for every plastic bag that doesn’t get thrown into the desert, that could be one more animal you save.”