A dream come true for Dubai cleaner after more than 30 years

Dubai: Winners of the Dubai Government Excellence Programme, who were personally honoured by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said they will continue their efforts to best serve the country.

Gulf News spoke to two of the winners after they had received their awards and encouragement from Shaikh Mohammad.

Abdul Salam Azizurhman, a cleaner and garbage collector at Dubai Municipality, said meeting Shaikh Mohammad was a dream come true.

Azizurhman, who has been in Dubai for 40 years, said he had worked at Dubai Municipality for 25 years and had retired, but after some time he was called back and since then, he has completed eight years with the department.

'Unforgettable'

"When I was called to be honoured, I did not know what exactly it meant, but meeting Shaikh Mohammad was an unforgettable honour for me," he said.

While Azizurhman was on stage, standing next to Shaikh Mohammad, he was wearing a cap which covered part of his face. Shaikh Mohammad adjusted his cap for his face to show clearly in photographs.

Azizurhman, whose salary is Dh900, said he will continue with his job for as long as he can.

Another winner, Capt Yousuf Rashid, Director of Al Qusais Civil Defence Station, who won the award as best government employee in the field category, said his win is a win for all Dubai Civil Defence employees and his colleagues.

Capt Rashid was one of the brave civil defence personnel members who helped rescue people trapped in the Fortune Tower blaze in January last year. He was recovering from a serious back operation at the time.

"On the day of the blaze I was on my way home after visiting the doctor for a routine checkup. I heard the call about the fire and went straight to the scene. The field director, who did not know about my operation, asked me to wear my uniform and start the mission," he said.

Capt Rashid, who has been working in civil defence for 10 years, said he climbed up to the 13th floor. He helped evacuate a man and then helped rescue a worker who had been trapped on the scaffolding outside the building.

Captain Rashid dedicated his award to his colleagues and those who lost their lives while performing their duties.