Dedication and the desire to undertake something challenging can help a person fly high in his career. This is what happened in the case of Major (Retd) Abdul Rahman Hassan Mohammed Al Mutawa, who can look back upon a highly decorated career in the police as well as a string of successes as a lawyer.

In his opinion, both fields play an important role in maintaining peaceful co-existence and a conducive atmosphere for progressive economic activity in a society such as the UAE that hosts people of more than 120 nationalities, cultures and ethnic backgrounds.

Al Mutawa spent 24 years with the Dubai Police Department. "I joined the department way back in 1974, when new posts were announced for recruiting national students. I was in school at that time."

Al Mutawa now runs a law firm, Abdul Rahman And Partners Advocates and Legal Consultants, in Dubai. It employs eight lawyers and has achieved many successes since its inception in March 1999.

Married with five daughters and three sons, Al Mutawa has complete confidence in the UAE's justice system and police service. "The credit of creating an efficient system and institutions goes to President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister."

The success of the Dubai Police Department is also due to the effort of Major General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, the Dubai Police Chief, who has spent untiring efforts to make the department the yardstick in the region.

Al Mutawa joined the police as a cadet officer and retired as a major in the late 1990s. "It is really an ideal job for young nationals who love to face challenges as well as to serve the country."

Working in the police, he said, is a courageous job in which everyone is constantly on the alert for emergencies and make constant efforts to prevent threats to the public.
"As a policeman, it's very satisfying to save human lives from danger or criminal activities," Al Mutawa said.

Recalling some unforgettable happenings in his police career, he tells of one dramatic incident. It was around 4am when he was asked to rush to an accident near the Al Shindagah tunnel.

"It was 1978 and the tunnel was under construction. It was dark and one of the shovels accidentally hit one of the workers, who was injured badly. Both his legs were cut off." The profusely bleeding labourer was in critical condition when Al Mutawa rushed him to hospital.

"A few days later, I learned that doctors had not only saved his life but also re-attached both legs. It was so satisfying for me and I was thankful to God who enabled me to save a precious human life with my timely assistance," he says.

Ten years ago, the Dubai Government gave police officers an opportunity to study law by opening a new Police College. Al Mutawa spent four years studying law and soon had a degree. After retirement from the police, Al Mutawa practised law with the Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs and Awqaf for a year and then opened his own office.

The UAE justice system, he said, is very clear and gives the fullest possible opportunities to defendants. "No society or government on earth allows criminals to get away without punishment. And that's exactly what the UAE is doing as well," Al Mutawa said.

He declared that those who think the UAE has harsh laws are misinformed. Al Mutawa said UAE law, police and courts treat people of all nationalities equally. "It's neither biased nor harsh on anybody. The police have been using highly sophisticated methods and technologies such as forensic laboratories to investigate crimes and help punish criminals."