Mustafa Saasa Premieres a Short Film Chronicling His Father’s UAE Journey from 1958 to the Present.
Dubai: Dr Mustafa Saasa commemorated the 25th death anniversary of his father, Taher Saasa, with the premiere of a short documentary titled Saasa, the Life of the Legend. Taher Saasa, a renowned Indian businessman, died in December 2001.
The event was attended by UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, along with special guest Dr E. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, Consul General of India in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Prominent Indian business leaders and members of the Dawoodi Bohra community were also present.
Mustafa began by recounting the family’s humble beginnings, recalling how his father arrived in the UAE in 1958, when there was no water supply, electricity, roads or cars. At the time, Dubai’s leadership granted Taher a rare privilege: permission to establish a business without a local sponsor.
The legacy lives on
History has come full circle 68 years later, Mustafa said. With the minister’s support, the family company was registered with the Ministry of Economy as a family business, making it one of the first Indian family businesses to receive such recognition. Mustafa recalled that his father’s guiding principle was to remain loyal to the place one calls home.
Speaking at the event, Al Marri said his department favoured persuasion over compulsion. He also recognised Taher Saasa’s contributions, noting that the businessman understood the importance of trade and diplomacy long before the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) came into existence.
“Dubai’s economy rests on trust, not only agreements,” Al Marri said. He encouraged newcomers planning to establish businesses in the Emirates to watch the film.
For Reddy, one of the film’s most memorable lessons was a principle Taher had learned from his late mother: “Never forget anyone who has given you even a glass of water.”
He described the sentiment as a reflection of gratitude and humility — values that Indian families have carried with them across borders. India and the UAE share one of India’s strongest partnerships globally, he said, adding that people remain at the heart of this relationship, from traders and workers to doctors and teachers. He also described the Indian community as one of the UAE’s most trusted and respected communities.
The film captures what happens “when a welcoming nation meets an enterprising people”, Reddy said. Success, he added, should be measured not by revenue alone, but “in relationships, in integrity, and in service to the society”.
