Xec Mohamad Iqbal

Senior dispatch coordinator Tenure: 39 years

A self-professed workaholic, Iqbal never shirked the hectic nights his job calls for. A steadfast presence at Gulf News since 1979, his story is closely tied to the paper’s history. “There were some really rocky times, especially in the beginning: People were not willing to accept us and we had to work harder.”

He undertook door-to-door campaigns with mixed results. Iqbal recounts a story where a woman thanked him for his service, but was reluctant to subscribe as none of her friends recommended it. It took rigorous door-to-door campaigning before it all started paying off in the early 90s, when Gulf News became one of the most trusted papers in the region. Since then, Iqbal says: “There has been no turning back.”

Eager to interact with others, Iqbal became responsible for supervising around 50 distributors for more than a decade. This was the nicest yet hardest part of the job, according to him. He had to coordinate the work of people from vastly different backgrounds in a harmonious way, which presented its own share of problems.

“Everyone comes in with their own mindset on how things should be done. I knew how to accommodate each and every one of them, while maintaining an ideal work environment.”

Iqbal retired on August this year, after working years with Gulf News.

What will he miss most after retiring? “I am going to dearly miss the people I met daily. The sudden lack of tasks and free time are easier to adjust to, than their absence,” he said. 31, 39