King Salman honours Saudi man for averting gas station disaster

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has awarded one of the country’s highest honours to a man who risked his life to avert a disaster at a gas station, after he drove a burning truck away from fuel tanks in a small town west of Riyadh.

The Saudi Press Agency reported that Maher Fahad Al Dalbahi, a man in his 40s from Al Salihiya village, received the King Abdulaziz Medal of the First Class and a reward of one million riyals.

The recognition followed a recommendation from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who praised Al Dalbahi’s “exceptional bravery” in the face of grave danger.

The incident occurred last Friday in Al Jamsh, in the Al Dawadmi governorate, about 300 kilometers from Riyadh.

Al Dalbahi encountered a truck loaded with animal fodder engulfed in flames. The driver, unable to control the fire, had abandoned the vehicle perilously close to the station’s fuel pumps. 

Without hesitation, Al Dalbahi climbed into the truck and steered it into an open area, away from civilians and fuel tanks, preventing what authorities described as a potentially catastrophic explosion.

Al Dalbahi suffered severe burns to his hands, legs, and face while maneuvering the truck and was transferred to a hospital in Riyadh, where he remains under treatment.

His family said the royal recognition was a “profound honour” and a source of pride for their village, describing it as a badge of appreciation from the nation’s leadership.