Seeing the man struggling at the roadside, Naeem Abbas Muhammad stepped in, gently guiding him through traffic and staying by his side until he reached safety.
On a busy Dubai street, a small act of kindness captured the spirit of the city. A bus driver with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has been honoured after stopping to help a blind man safely cross the road.
Naeem Abbas Muhammad didn’t hesitate. Seeing the man struggling at the roadside, he stepped in, gently guiding him through traffic and staying by his side until he reached safety.
“I saw a man trying to cross the road and he was blind… I helped him,” he said simply.
A video shared by the Roads and Transport Authority captures the quiet compassion in his actions—no spectacle, just instinctive humanity. In recognition, he was awarded a certificate of appreciation by the authority.
“Good job,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority, as he presented the certificate to Naeem Abbas Muhammad.
For Naeem, the act needed no recognition. “I like to help people,” he said. “Helping is the way. Helping is Dubai culture.”
Check out the video below, as shared by the RTA:
His words echo a sentiment earlier expressed by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who said, “the soul of Dubai is found in its people.”
While brief, the social media post highlighted a deeper theme in Dubai’s story: that its achievements are not measured only by skyscrapers, skylines, or economic indicators, but by the people who call the city home and contribute to its continued success.
It also reinforced the idea of placing residents at the centre of development, recognising them as the driving force behind Dubai’s growth and progress.
For residents of Dubai and the wider UAE, the country’s leadership is not seen as distant. Figures such as Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum are often visible in everyday settings—whether taking part in events like the Dubai Run, sharing iftar with soldiers, or visiting malls and restaurants to interact with the public.
These appearances, from fitness events to informal visits, help humanise leadership and strengthen that connection with the community.
The recognition of individuals like Naeem Abbas Muhammad, along with thousands of taxi drivers, further reinforces this approach. Through initiatives led by the Roads and Transport Authority, more than 2,000 taxi drivers were honoured in 2025 for their service and professionalism.
Under the “Road Ambassadors” initiative, the RTA commended 2,172 drivers for adhering to regulations, maintaining high standards of cleanliness, and returning lost items to their rightful owners.
