DUBAI: Pakistani expat Abdul Ghafoor Abdul Hakeem could not believe his ears when he got a call that Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the crown prince of Dubai, wanted to meet him.
Ghafoor, from Okara city in Pakistan, shot to Internet fame earlier this month when a video showed him picking up two concrete slabs from the middle of a busy junction and putting them to a side to help commuters avoid accidents.
The video clip, shot by an unknown motorist, showed Ghafoor parking his bike on the roadside and waiting for the traffic to clear before running to remove the slabs.
Soon after, the crown prince posted the video clip on his social media accounts, asking for the public to connect him with Ghafoor.
Last week, the delivery rider went to meet the crown prince who he said thanked him and gave him an unspecified reward of money. The company where Ghafoor works has also promised him a return ticket to Pakistan and given him a cash award.
From two failed businesses three years ago to taking up a job as a delivery rider in Dubai just a few months ago, Ghafoor, 26, still can’t believe his luck.
“When I got a call from Sheikh Hamdan, I thought someone was joking because why would the Sheikh call me?” Ghafoor told Arab News on Tuesday. “But he kept his promise and I met the Sheikh last week and he gave me lots of respect.”
Ghafoor, who is married and has a two and half year-old son in Pakistan who he hasn’t seen in over a year, hopes he can visit home soon.
“I will use the money to set up a business in Dubai,” the rider said, “and will also soon visit Pakistan because my family has heard this news and is waiting eagerly.”
