Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, thanked an employee for his dedication after working at Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court for more than four decades.
Moideen Ibrahim, 63, worked in the media office of the Crown Prince Office filing and sorting papers for the past 40 years and was described by Sheikh Mohammed on Monday as "an example of a dedicated and diligent worker".
Mr Ibrahim described meeting the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi as one of the happiest days of his life.
“He spoke with love. He asked about my family, he asked about my children, what they did. In my life I have not felt as much happiness as I have today,” he said.
Working in Abu Dhabi has helped Mr Ibrahim build a house, pay for the wedding of three children and contribute to the wedding expenses of his sister’s children.
“I have got a lot from this country. I built my home because I worked here. It is very difficult and painful for me to leave this place,” said Mr Ibrahim, who has five children with one son employed in Saudi Arabia.
Like many workers who leave the southern Indian state Kerala for jobs in the Gulf, Mr Ibrahim speaks fluent Arabic apart from his native Malayalam.
“I have to leave because of my age otherwise I would never stop working here,” he said.
His last day at work is January 31.
On Monday, a video was shared on Twitter of Sheikh Mohammed embracing Mr Ibrahim and thanking him for his hard work. He posed for photos and bade him farewell on his retirement.
Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, also congratulated Mr Ibrahim for his work.
