Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid praises officer for saving a family's Eid holiday

The Vice President and Ruler of Dubai commended Salem Bedwawi, calling him a patriot and a shining example of Emirati generosity in a post on Twitter

Dubai, United Arab Emirates-  November 21, 2010 ;  Hatta border crossing between UAE and Oman .      ( Satish Kumar / The National )
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A policeman who went to extraordinary lengths to help a Syrian family’s Eid holiday not be ruined by a broken down car has been praised by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.

The Vice President and Ruler of Dubai commended officer Salem Bedwawi, calling him a patriot and a shining example of Emirati generosity as he shared a video of a segment during a radio show, Al Ba’th Al Mubashir, on Twitter.

In the video aired on Sama Dubai TV channel, a caller named Fateh — a Syrian man living in Dubai — called the host saying he had a positive story he wanted to share about his experience on Friday June 16, the first day of Eid Al Fitr.

Fateh said he and his family were driving to Oman for a holiday when his car broke down at border control at around 7am.

He pulled over to the side of the road and was trying to fix the car when a policeman, Salem Al Badwawi, approached him and asked if he needed help.

Fateh told him his radiator was broken so he and his family would have to cancel their holiday, call for a taxi and return to Dubai.

Mr Badwawi asked the man to wait, saying he would call for a mechanic to fix the car so they could continue on their journey.

His calls to a mechanic went unanswered because it was a Friday morning and the first day of Eid, said Fateh.

He said the next thing Mr Badwawi suggested took him completely by surprise and was a gesture he would not even expect from a brother.

The policeman told him to take his car instead and to enjoy his holiday in Muscat with his family.

“He said ‘I will not allow you to ruin your holiday with your family’,” said Fateh, who did not believe the policeman was serious in his offer at first.

Mr Badwawi drove Fateh to his home in Hatta and handed him the keys to his Land Cruiser as well as his vehicle licence.

Upon his return from Muscat, Mr Badwawi told Fateh to drop his family off in Dubai first then return to Hatta where he had organised for his car to be fixed.

The car also required spare parts, which Mr Badwawi paid for, Fateh said.

He said he did not know how to pass on his thanks to the policeman for his kind and gracious act.

The radio show host gave a round of applause for the policeman, asking jokingly if Fateh filled Mr Badwawi’s car up with petrol for him. Fateh said Mr Bedwawi only accepted payment for his car maintenance after multiple attempts to convince him.

The radio show thanked him for the positive story.

Twitter users were quick to respond to the post with many joining Sheikh Mohammed in praising and thanking Mr Badwawi for his extraordinary act of kindness.