UAE | General

23 readers celebrate birthday with Gulf News

Twenty-three readers celebrated their 30th birthday with Gulf News on its 30th anniversary - September 30. Each reader received a pleasant surprise by way of a gift hamper, flowers and a free lifetime subscription of the newspaper.

  • By Nasheet Jaffer Khan, Community Solutions Editor
  • Published: 00:07 October 2, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Archana Mahajan with her son... together they received their surprise gifts.
  • Image Credit: Arshad Ali/Gulf News
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Twenty-three readers celebrated their 30th birthday with Gulf News on its 30th anniversary — September 30. Each reader received a pleasant surprise by way of a gift hamper, flowers and a free lifetime subscription of the newspaper.

Community Solutions Editor Nasheet Jaffer Khan was present when some of the readers received their gifts. Each told her how much it had touched them and clearly showed that the newspaper cared.

It will probably take Archana Mahajan a lifetime to forget what happened at 9.30am on September 30, 2008.

As she welcomed her 30th birthday, the last thing the Indian homemaker expected was for her name to be on the front page of the nation's leading newspaper.

"I opened Gulf News in the morning and was ecstatic to see my name, with a special birthday message. I felt like a celebrity!" she said.

Mahajan is one of the 23 readers who share their birthdays with Gulf News. As part of its 30th anniversary celebrations, readers were invited to contact the newspaper if they, too, were turning 30 on September 30.

Twenty-three confirmed entries were finalised. The readers were then contacted for verification of their addresses, but provided with no information of what was in store for them. It was a secret.

On September 30, a special gift hamper, a bouquet of flowers and a free lifetime subscription of Gulf News was personally delivered to each reader.

Screams of joy, open-mouthed silence and shock were some of the reactions displayed by readers as they were greeted by the "pleasant surprise".

Mahajan said: "This is probably the best birthday surprise I have ever had. Gulf News has gone out of its way to celebrate with its readers and I would like to thank all involved for the effort taken. I have never experienced anything like this before."

This sentiment was shared by the other readers, too. Although each of them is a stranger to the other and comes from different cultures, they agreed on one thing - this was a "birthday to remember".

Mustafa Ebrahim Mohammad, yet another reader from the list of 23 who marked his 30th birthday on September 30, said: "I have never heard of any other newspaper doing anything like this for its readers. I am pleasantly surprised and extremely touched."

He said that when Gulf News had started the campaign, he anticipated just a token of appreciation. "I expected something small like a voucher or free tickets [for an event], but nothing as big as what Gulf News has given me. It's a great gesture," Mohammad said.

While Mohammad is an Emirati, Dharini Suresh hails from the southern part of India.

Suresh was touched by the fact that the newspaper had set aside the time to "make her the news".

She confessed, in between her several "thank yous", that her first investment in the UAE was to subscribe to Gulf News.

She said: "I still have the copy of the first subscription bill. It has been worth it.

"I'm happy and touched with the effort made. I wish a very happy birthday to Gulf News and the other 22 readers who share the day."

Jyothi Iyer concurred that the gesture made her feel special. She said: "Who does this? No one has the time for anyone else. Gulf News obviously cares - it feels great.

"I have always celebrated my birthday with family and this was the first time away from home. I wasn't expecting it to be so special. Gulf News has surpassed my expectations. I've been a subscriber only for the past six months. I love reading the newspaper."

For Abbas Amer Fidvi, the gifts from Gulf News further enhanced the joy of the day. He was celebrating his 30th birthday with his newborn baby daughter Sayeesha.

He said: "It is like the best day ... it has been great. The gifts from Gulf News are a pleasant surprise, especially as I had no idea that this was the plan.

"It is my first birthday with my daughter. Gulf News - thank you very much. It is, indeed, very special."

Zarine Atiq Kapadia was "embarrassed and delighted" when Gulf News knocked at her door.

She said: "I didn't expect all this. It is really sweet ... a good surprise!"

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