UAE workers get Dh25,000 for children’s education

Etisalat has given more than a dozen building workers in the UAE Dh25,000 ($6,810) each in scholarships for their children’s higher education.

The gesture by the telecom company to mark International Workers’ Day, which was on Saturday, came as a pleasant surprise for the beneficiaries.

There are more than two million migrant workers in the Emirates, the majority from South-Asian and African countries, who work in the construction sector.

Fifteen workers from different camps were selected by Etisalat to piece together a tile work with a hidden message.

As the puzzle pieces came together, the workers were surprised with the scholarship awards.

A message on a screen said: “You’ve built today, so let us build your child’s tomorrow. So, as you can see in the tile structure you’ve just created, we want to help you play an important part in your future. In particular, your children’s future. Etisalat is giving a Dh25,000 scholarship towards your children’s higher education.”

Beneficiary Abdul Latif Awan, 65, from Rawalpindi in Pakistan, said: “I have given 38 years of my life in this country, and this country has given me such a big parting gift. I will cherish this all my life.”

Indian Shaikh Riyazuddin, 34, moved to Dubai in 2018.

“I want our adopted daughter to get a higher education so she can stand on her own feet and be ready for the world,” he said. “I am very happy that I will be able to give her a good education.”

Mohammed Firoj Ma, a Bangladeshi father of two who moved to Dubai in 2004, said: “With this money, I can help build a brighter future for my family and can also save for their future.”