SHARJAH // The Eid al Adha festivities brought little joy for Abdul Rahman.
The shipping company manager who has worked in Dubai for 20 years planned to spend the day alone.
The grieving 50-year-old lost both his wife and young son in May's Air India Express crash and each of the smiling families which came together to mark the holy day only served to underline his loss.
"There is no Eid for me," the Sharjah resident said, breaking into tears at every mention of the family he misses every day. "There is nothing. There is no family left for me.
"It has spoilt my life. The reports keep coming. It's as if someone is playing with my life."
News reports from India that blame a disoriented, sleepy pilot for the May 22 crash in Mangalore, which killed 158 people, have added to his heartache.
He he did not want to cloud family celebrations with his pain but was persuaded by his niece and her children, who live in Al Ain, to spend some time with his extended family.
"I sat at home for Eid. I went for prayers," Mr Rahman said. "They pulled me from my home to join them. Everyone says 'Come home, come home'. I don't like to join any gathering because their celebration mood is spoilt seeing me."
Despite the efforts of his family, he found little comfort. The trip jogged memories of his nine-year-old son, bringing him only more anguish.
"I forced myself to go to their house, a house where my son used to go swimming with his cousins," Mr Rahman said. "Where can I go without thinking of them?"
The widower fills his days with work, where he often stays well past his scheduled shift to put off returning to an empty house. He had been married for 16 years.
Mr Rahman's wife went home to Mangalore a year ago to care of her ailing mother,but the family suffered a double tragedy when her mother and brother died. His wife then stayed back to look after her father. Just before the crash, the family had been making plans to get back together in Sharjah.
"My son and wife would come twice a year for the vacations," Mr Rahman said. "We spoke of being together again because my son was growing up fast. We would have someone care for her aged father."
Now he feels helpless and alone, although he is grateful for support from relatives, colleagues and his employer. Mr Rahman says he understands the anguish felt by other relatives who lost family members in the crash and has joined a support group for those seeking compensation from the airline. He describes it as a fight for justice.
"There are other families from Mangalore and other cities," he said. "It is not just my family."
Groups in Dubai and Mangalore have been meeting to bring a delay in compensation payments to the notice of Indian officials. A law firm appointed by Air India to settle the claims has said it is trying to complete the process as quickly as possible.
Mr Rahman is among many who believe the delay is unjustified. He said he knew of people burdened with bank loans unable to make payments in time. Others, he said, were depressed, in need of medication to cope with the loss of their relatives. Thinking of the future and the plans he had for his son deepen his sorrow.
"My family is already gone. My family is zero," Mr Rahman said. "My son was smart, active, good at math. We planned he would be a doctor or IAS [high-level government] officer. What are ambitions now? My life is worse than hell."
rtalwar@thenational.ae
8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
www.greenheartuae.com
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
www.modibodi.ae
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
www.shopretold.com
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
www.mena.lush.com
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
www.bubble-bro.com
Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
www.instagram.com/coethical
Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
www.eggsnsoldiers.com
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I Feel Pretty
Dir: Abby Kohn/Mark Silverstein
Starring: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Emily Ratajkowski, Rory Scovel
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Florence and the Machine – High as Hope
Three stars
RACE CARD
6.30pm Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $36,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Turf) 2,410m
7.40pm Meydan Trophy – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (T) 1,900m
8.15pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 - Group 2 (TB) $293,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
9.25pm Handicap (TB) $65,000 (T) 1,000m
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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RESULT
Wolves 1 (Traore 67')
Tottenham 2 (Moura 8', Vertonghen 90 1')
Man of the Match: Adama Traore (Wolves)
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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