An expatriate taxi driver in the UAE, Abdul Halim, returned Dh200,000 in cash and Dh1m worth of diamonds and jewelry to the rightful owner. Halim was rewarded for his honesty by the Dubai Road Transport Authority. Further, he was recommended for the Dubai Excellence Award. The National and Gulfnews has reported on this incident.
On June 25, Halim picked up an Egyptian man from Al Mas Tower in Jumeirah Lakes Tower to go to the Deira Gold Souq. The passenger forgot to take his bag as he left the cab.
At the end of his shift, Halim habitually checks the trunk of his taxi, and he found cash and diamonds worth TK25m. He promptly returned it to the RTA office which returned the fortunes to the owner.
On the incident, cab driver Abdul Halim, who earns around Dh3,500 a month, said: “My shift ended at 4:30pm and as usual I checked the boot. Inside lay a big brown leather bag. I opened it and I froze. There were several wads of currency, a checkbook and a boxful of diamonds. I hadn’t seen anything like this before.” The driver, who has been working with Dubai Taxi Corporation for three years, travelled to Naif Police Station to hand the items over.
“Dubai Taxi Corporation recognises and appreciates our drivers and their level of honesty since we are part of the Roads and Transport Authority Government of Dubai and we take pride in encouraging this type of behaviour on all levels,” said a statement from Dubai Taxi Corporation.
Mr Manu was honoured personally by Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board and executive director of the RTA.
Halim has become an example of honesty in Dubai. The RTA has certified him for his integrity.