AL AIN // Before Hamoud Ali Saleh Al Ameri left the UAE to fulfil his national duty, he promised to take his parents for medical treatment abroad on his return.
It was an example of the 29-year-old first lieutenant’s deep devotion to his family, his loved ones said on Saturday.
Al Ameri died in Germany while receiving treatment for injuries from a rocket attack in Marib province, Yemen, in September.
His body, shrouded in the UAE flag, was borne by his military comrades who led a group of mourners to the Martyrs Mosque of the Armed Forces in Al Ain, where funeral prayers were held after midday.
Al Ameri was initially sent to Saudi Arabia for treatment but was transferred to Germany on September 9.
His brothers Nasser, Ahmed and Musallam “didn’t leave his side since”, said a cousin, Mohammed Ahmed Al Ameri.
“He was a fighter but his injuries were greater than he could handle,” said Mr Al Ameri.
Al Ameri lived with his parents and his wife and children in Al Yahar, Al Ain. He leaves behind a five-year-old daughter, Wadeema, and a three-year-old son, Mohammed.
His wife is pregnant with their third child.
Al Ameri’s father, Ali, praised his son’s exemplary character which was marked by kindness.
“He cared so much for his mum and I. He never let us need anything,” said Mr Al Ameri.
“He’s taken us on several medical trips to India and Thailand for treatments and check-ups, and promised to take us to a few more upon his return.”
No matter how busy he was, the serviceman always made time for his family, said his mother, Qasiya Humaid Al Ameri.
She said her son was as a man of family, duty and honour.
“I am proud of him and his sacrifice,” she said.
Al Ameri’s two children have been comforted by their grandparents and relatives.
“I’m happy. I’m not sad. My father is now in heaven,” said Wadeema. Her positive character has helped her family smile despite the difficult time of grief.
Al Ameri’s body was airlifted to Al Ain after honourary procedures were held yesterday morning, attended by senior Armed Forces officials in Abu Dhabi.
Before the funeral prayers, the imam of the Martyrs Mosque spoke to the congregation, urging them to stay strong and to remain faithful.
“Only last week, we were gathered here to bid farewell to our brother Al Shamsi, and today we are gathered here to bid farewell to another of our brothers,” he said, referring to Capt Hadif Humaid Al Shamsi, also from Al Ain, who was shot dead by gunmen earlier this month while guarding Emirates Red Crescent aid workers.
“These goodbyes are never easy, but we find solace in the great example of sacrifice they’ve shown to their country and people.”
After the funeral prayers, Al Ameri’s body was laid to rest at Al Mutawa Cemetery in Al Ain.
His relatives will accept condolences from well-wishers in their home in Al Yahar until Monday. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, and Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed, chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court, have offered condolences to the family.
About 70 Emirati servicemen have died on active duty for Operation Restoring Hope with the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen since June.
Most fatalities took place in Marib, when dozens of Emiratis were killed in the rocket attack.
nalremeithi@thenational.ae
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
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The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
