Dubai roadside tragedy: Indian expat student remembered as family warns against reckless driving

Dubai: To her family, she was “Noon” or “Noony”, the light of their home who never forgot a birthday and always remembered the little things people loved. To her close friend, she was “Shukku”, her biggest support. To her professor, she was the passionate student who never took her eyes off the lecturer, determined not to miss a word.

Naifa Balkies Hameed, a 21-year-old final-year architecture student at Canadian University Dubai (CUD), died on November 5 after a speeding vehicle reportedly ran over her on Al Khawaneej Street in Al Rashidiya area. She was standing behind her car, which had suffered a flat tyre.

Days after the tragedy, her family and friends are remembering a young woman whose warmth touched everyone around her.

But amid their grief, the family also hopes her death will serve as an eye-opener for motorists about the consequences of reckless driving and the importance of road safety.

Naifa, a native of Thodupuzha in the south Indian state of Kerala, was devoted to her studies. According to her uncle, she had returned to Dubai with her mother, Seena, so she would not miss her classes, while the rest of the family remained in Kerala after a wedding.

Assistant Professor Sanjeewa Pushpakumara recalled seeing her every Monday between 9am and 11am in his class at CUD.

“She was quiet and deeply passionate about knowledge,” he said in his tribute shared with Gulf News.

“She always kept her eyes on me because she didn’t want to miss anything I explained. I am devastated to have lost one of my most passionate students,” the professor added.

The university also paid tribute in a condolence message to the community, a copy of which was seen by Gulf News.

Sent by CUD’s Student Affairs Department, it described Naifa as its “beloved student”.

Extending its condolences to her family and friends, the department said: “We hope they find strength, comfort, and peace as they grieve their loss. Her presence will be sorely missed, and her memory will forever be held dear by the CUD family. May her soul rest in peace.”

At home, Naifa was the youngest child and, as her sister-in-law Maryam recalled, her parents’ “little princess”. Her uncle earlier described her as the light of the household.

Maryam, who said Naifa had adopted her as her older sister, remembered her as someone who noticed the smallest details about people.

“She was our comfort person,” Maryam said, recalling how Naifa helped her feel at home after she moved to Dubai following her marriage to Naifa’s brother, Nihal Hameed.

If Maryam casually mentioned liking something, Naifa would remember it and surprise her with it on her birthday. Even people who had met Naifa only once or twice later reached out to Maryam to say how warmly she had made them feel.

Maryam’s sister, Sabah, who studies in Sharjah, was equally close to Naifa. The three considered themselves “three peas in a pod”, sharing favourite food, music and television shows, Sabah said.

Their happiest moments often involved driving together, playing their favourite songs and singing along. They had even discussed starting a TikTok page to share song covers and were looking forward to attending a concert together.

Naifa’s friend Sonia Zac Rozan, who has known her since Grade 7 in 2017, remembered her as “my guide, my sunshine and my biggest support”.

“If I could go back and choose my best friend all over again, I would choose her every single time,” Sonia said.

The two had their own affectionate nicknames: Sonia was “Chunnie” or “Shunnie” to Naifa, while Sonia called her “Shukku”.

For those closest to Naifa, grief now lives in the smallest things.

Maryam said she still finds a lip gloss and a hair clip Naifa gave her among her belongings in her bag. She also thinks of the shoes she bought Naifa last month, which she will never get to wear, their planned trip to Japan and Naifa’s excitement about becoming the coolest aunt to her future children.

Sabah, too, is left thinking about the plans they never got to fulfil. She said she watched the family break when they lost Naifa, describing her as someone who left pieces of herself with everyone she loved.

“I thought I had the rest of my life as time with her,” Sabah said.

Family and friends gathered at the embalming centre in Dubai on Saturday to pay their last respects. Naifa’s mortal remains were taken home to Kerala that night, and she was laid to rest at a mosque in her hometown on Sunday.

On the day of the accident, Naifa was driving her brother's car, which had not been used for several days because he was in Kerala. According to her uncle, Naifa called her father, Binu Hameed, to tell him that her car had suffered a flat tyre.

He advised her to contact roadside assistance and take a taxi to university after her car was towed away.

When her father called again about five minutes later, she did not answer.

Police later informed the family that Naifa had been standing behind her car when she was struck, her uncle told Gulf News. The family was also told that the driver of the speeding car had been arrested. Gulf News has contacted Dubai Police for comment.

For Maryam, the circumstances of Naifa’s death make the loss even harder to accept.

“I believe it is a cruel twist of fate that our little girl was taken from us so soon because of someone else’s reckless driving and lack of respect for another person’s safety,” she said.

The family hopes that sharing Naifa’s story will encourage motorists to drive safely, follow traffic rules and be responsible on the road.

“I hope her story serves as a reminder that reckless driving doesn’t just take a life; it leaves behind families, friends and loved ones who have to live with that loss forever. If her story can make even one person think twice before driving recklessly, I hope it can prevent another family from going through the pain we are experiencing today,” Maryam said.