When volunteers Fatima Diaby and Hassan Bin Ahmad filled out their online forms to help at the region's newest film festival they had no idea they would be meeting face-to-face with their biggest celebrity favourites.
Bin Ahmad, 39, has lived in Abu Dhabi for 25 years and says he almost died when he met one the biggest men in Bollywood — Irfan Khan.
Nervous
He said: "I am originally from India, and I felt so proud to have the chance to meet such talented and famous people. I was a little nervous but I think I kept my cool.
"We guided them to their seats and they were so polite and kind. It was an honour."
But Khan wasn't the only one getting special treatment from Bin Ahmad, as colleague Diaby quite rightly pointed out.
The 27-year-old from the Ivory Coast said: "Hassan is the hardest worker I know. He treats everyone as if they are famous and is so kind to all the guests. The best part of being a volunteer for me has been to meet some wonderful people — Hassan being one of them."
Both Bin Ahmad and Diaby applied to be volunteers online and were pleased when they were given the job of ushers in the Main Theatre at the Emirates Palace Hotel.
Bin Ahmad added: "You really couldn't ask for a better place to work. The atmosphere is electric, and I am taking my role
very seriously. We may only be volunteers but we are helping a major event run as smoothly as possible. Everybody always complains that the focus is on Dubai — well this is our chance to prove Abu Dhabi has what it takes too.
"I am also here to support film and the progression of the movie industry in the Middle East. I hope the people of Abu Dhabi come to support this impressive event."
