Dubai relatives of Abdul El-Sayed celebrate his historic US Senate win

Dubai: The election of Abdul El-Sayed as the first Muslim to the US Senate has become a moment of pride for his wife's relatives in Dubai, who have been following his political journey from thousands of kilometres away.

El-Sayed, 42, a Democrat and former public health official, defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's closely contested Senate race on Tuesday, November 3.

For Fazal Jukaku, uncle of El-Sayed's wife, Dr Sarah Jukaku, the victory is particularly meaningful. A UAE resident for 38 years, he has watched the couple's journey closely while maintaining strong family ties across Dubai, India and the United States.

"We are ecstatic. My WhatsApp has been buzzing with messages over the past few days, congratulatory calls and messages have continued to arrive from relatives and friends. Although we are thousands of miles apart, we remain very close. Despite the campaign and Abdul's busy political life, both he and Sarah have always made an effort to stay in touch," Fazal told Gulf News

For Fazal, the newly elected senator is more than a political figure whose campaign the family has followed from afar. Over the years, they have maintained close ties through family gatherings, weddings and visits to the United States.

"Abdul recently attended my son's wedding in Florida and even gave a speech. We have met him many times over the years. Abdul and Sarah have also visited family in the UAE, although that was a few years ago. These days, we mostly meet in the US, where many of our relatives have settled," he said.

The family connection also extends to Bhatkal, a coastal town in India’s Karnataka state, where Sarah's paternal family traces its roots.

"Abdul has visited Bhatkal twice, including our ancestral home, and stayed with my sister, Aliya Nazneen Jukaku. He spent time with our relatives there and has really embraced our family, our culture and our hometown," Fazal said.

Sarah, a practising psychiatrist, was born and raised in Michigan. Her father, Dr Tayeb Jukaku, studied medicine at Bangalore Medical College before moving to the United States, where he became a nephrologist.

Sarah and Abdul met as undergraduate students at the University of Michigan and married in 2006. The couple have two daughters. "They connected almost instantly. They are very similar in character, both humble people who share the same values," Fazal said.

Fazal said El-Sayed's political journey had been an inspiration to the family, reflecting his longstanding commitment to public service.

"He has always wanted to make a difference in people's lives. Medicine and public health were one way of doing that, but he also had a strong interest in politics and wanted to serve the community on a broader level. Seeing him pursue that ambition has been truly inspiring," he said.

For Sarah's relatives, the victory carries another significance – it brings renewed attention to a family with a long history of political involvement and public service in India.

Her grandfather, JH Shamsuddin Jukaku, was a prominent lawyer and political figure in Bhatkal. He served as deputy finance minister in the former Mysore State government under Chief Minister B.D. Jatti in the 1950s, and later as electricity and water minister in S. Nijalingappa's cabinet.

"My father was deeply involved in the development of Bhatkal. During his time, electricity was brought to the town, and there were major improvements in schools, colleges, roads and other infrastructure. He believed strongly in public service and working for the community," Fazal recalled.

"Even today, a prominent circle in Bhatkal bears his name."

His contributions to bringing electricity to the region extended beyond Bhatkal. According to Fazal, Shamshuddin was involved in the Sharavathi Valley Hydroelectric Project in the 1950s, a major power generation initiative that helped expand electricity supply across the former Mysore State.

The project also has an unexpected Bollywood connection. Fazal said his father worked alongside Iftekhar Ahmed, a prominent engineer involved in the project and the maternal grandfather of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.

The family has continued Shamshuddin's legacy of supporting education through Anjuman Hami-e-Muslimeen, a charitable trust in Bhatkal that runs schools, colleges and higher education institutions, including an engineering college.

Although the next generation largely pursued careers outside politics, Fazal believes the family's commitment to public service has endured.

"Politics may have skipped a generation, but I believe that same passion for social work and serving the community has been passed on to Sarah. She worked incredibly hard throughout Abdul's campaign and stood by him every step of the way," he said.

The celebrations have also extended beyond the family to members of the Bhatkal expatriate community in the UAE, which has maintained strong ties with its hometown for decades. Jailani Mohtisham, a family friend and UAE resident of 23 years, said the community had followed El-Sayed's victory with considerable interest.

"The UAE has a strong Bhatkal community, with many families settled here for nearly 50 years. The Jukaku family is well known in our community, so we followed Abdul's election campaign closely from the beginning. The family has done a great deal for our hometown, and that legacy is still remembered today. To now see a connection between our small town and such a historic moment in American politics is something we never imagined," he said.

Fazal said relatives across the UAE, India and the United States had also supported the campaign, with family members in America helping with fundraising and other efforts.

"We don't always discuss politics, particularly American politics, as a family. But ever since Abdul announced his candidacy for the Senate, we have been following the campaign closely," he said.

For the family, one of the most difficult aspects was witnessing the personal and xenophobic attacks directed at El-Sayed and his loved ones.

"At times, it was difficult to watch the attacks against Abdul, Sarah and the family. But despite everything, they persevered, maintained their dignity and remained focused on what they wanted to achieve. We were very proud of how they handled it," Fazal said.

Looking ahead to the swearing-in, Fazal said the family was hopeful about what lay ahead. "We are eager to watch him take the oath of office. We pray to Allah that he serves the people of Michigan with honesty, remains humble and uses his position to make a meaningful and lasting difference in people's lives."