Veteran resident reveals how he joined Dubai Police in 1971
71-year-old Pakistani expat with nearly 50 years of service talks about his love for UAE
On a cold, windy day 48 years ago, Mohammad Nawaz Rabbani arrived in Dubai from Sialkot in Pakistan. It was December 20, 1970, before the UAE’s unification. Rabbani had come to visit his brother, but ended up working for Dubai Police.
Rabbani, now 71, was 23 when he landed in Dubai, armed with a bachelor’s degree in science. He joined his brother on a work trip to Dubai Police and chanced upon a job opening. The rest is history.
“Back then I came on a British Overseas Airways Corporation flight. Even the visa was issued by the British embassy. At the time, there was only one highway in the UAE. I joined the administration department of Dubai Police on March 9, 1971, and started working at Naif police station. They then built the police headquarters and we shifted there,” Rabbani said.
Almost half a century later, he is now retired and lives in the UAE with his family.
Rabbani has also had a long relationship with Gulf News as a subscriber for 34 years. From the laidback
days of the 1970s to the hustle and bustle of today’s UAE, Rabbani has seen it all.
“We would go to work early and return at the end of the day. We would shower, relax and then go out for the evening. I had a few friends in the UAE, but we would all sit together and spend hours talking,” he said.
In over 46 years of driving in the UAE, Rabbani did not commit a single traffic violation. This clean record also extends to his work life; he did not take a single day of medical leave for 10 years in a row.
His secret? A disciplined lifestyle. “I am very keen about rules and regulations. I wake up every morning and exercise. Most of my colleagues meet me and ask me what I eat because they say I haven’t aged,” he said.
His work first in the administration department and then in the supplies and services department meant he interacted with almost every employee of Dubai Police. He said that this was, perhaps, the most memorable part of his tenure.“Whether it was the commander or the administration staff, no matter who it was, they would interact with me for work and depended on me for many tasks,” he said.
Looking back at all the appreciation certificates he has received over the years, Rabbani said that he is very proud of the life he has spent in the UAE.