A Pakistani rickshaw driver who provides a free transport service to 300 schoolgirls has been hailed as a hero for his work in his native Peshawar province.
“My mission is to ensure that every girl receives an education," said Arab Shah, 33, in Pir Bala, a suburban neighbourhood of Peshawar city.
Mr Shah, 33, began taking girls to school in his rented rickshaw, driven by regret over being unable to support his five sisters during their school years. His free service has now expanded to include an auto rickshaw and four Suzuki vans that transport hundreds of girls to school and back.
“My sisters now proudly say, 'it’s a good thing we couldn't get an education, other girls would suffer, and you wouldn't have discovered this greatness within you',” he told The National.
His work has gained support from the world-renowned Pakistani women's education advocate, Malala Yousafzai, and her family.
“When I saw his story in the media, it brought me immense joy, and I immediately contacted Shah to support his remarkable work. Malala also spoke with him and appreciated his efforts in ensuring that girls receive an education,” Malala's father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, told The National.
In Pir Bala, several girls told The National that Mr Shah's service had allowed them to pursue their dreams.
Madiha Bannat, a 10th-grade student whose father passed away during her childhood, and whose mother works as a housekeeper in various homes in her village, said she had found it difficult to continue her education due to travel expenses.
However, “Bhaijan” (Dear Brother), as she calls Arab Shah, took on the responsibility of getting her to school.
“For the past five years, without paying a single penny, I've been able to pursue my dream of attending school without any obstacle,” Ms Banat told The National.
Salma Khan, an eighth-grade student who attends school in Mr Shah's rickshaw, said: “When a fellow schoolgirl in our class mentioned facing transport or other issues that hindered her education, I reassured her, saying, don't worry, I'll tell Bhaijan (Arab Shah), and he'll sort it out.
Mr Shah said that in 2014 he had first rented a rickshaw and began taking take three or four pupils from poorer neighbourhoods to school during his morning shift.
After realising that many more pupils needed transport to reach school, he embarked on a mission to provide free transport to schoolgirls in his village.
Three years ago, after his story gained media attention, he received financial support from the Yousafzai family.
"When Malala's father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, called me, I couldn't believe it. They offered financial support for me to purchase my own rickshaw. I told Zia that many girls were out of school due to transportation issues, and for that, I needed a vehicle.
“Now I have an auto rickshaw and four Suzuki vans, providing free transport to over 300 school and madrassa students,” Mr Shah told The National.
Starting his duties at 7am, he does 15 shifts in the Suzuki vans and 10 in his rickshaw, offering free pick-and-drop services to school and university students. The other vehicles have been assigned to drivers who are paid for their work, and the income generated is used to provide one additional free pick-and-drop service for schoolgirls.
Once all the children have reached home from school, Mr Shah returns to the streets of Peshawar, ensuring he can earn sufficient income to maintain his fleet.
“Due to high inflation and rising fuel prices, I now extend my working hours into the late night to increase earnings," he said.
Mr Shah's efforts have been recognised beyond his community. In August 2020, Zia Ullah Bangash, a former education adviser to the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, presented him with a shield and prize in recognition of his work.
Malala's father, Mr Yousafzai, told The National that he was inspired by Mr Shah's story and suggested that his scheme be expanded to other remote areas.
"We will continue to support him in the future and will suggest to the government that Shah's mission of providing free transportation services to students in remote areas be implemented on a broader scale," he said in a phone interview.
Mr Yousafzai explained that there are more than 22 million children out of school in Pakistan. Twelve million are girls, he said.
"The primary issue preventing many out-of-school children from attending is the lack of transport. Schools and teachers are available, but students cannot access them due to transport barriers," he said.
“If I had the authority, I would implement a similar transportation system to what Shah is doing and name it the 'Arab Shah Transport System',” he added.
Mr Yousafzai stressed the need to break with patriarchal traditions and promote equal rights.
“The world has reached the Moon, and here we are still discussing whether women should be allowed to leave their homes. We should support our women in obtaining education, pursuing careers, and achieving their dreams.”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
More on Quran memorisation:
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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
The%20specs
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The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
RESULT
Copa del Rey, semi-final second leg
Real Madrid 0
Barcelona 3 (Suarez (50', 73' pen), Varane (69' OG)
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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South Korea
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
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"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
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Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
Cricket World Cup League 2
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Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
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If you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
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SPECS
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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
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Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
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Milkman by Anna Burns
Ordinary People by Diana Evans
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Circe by Madeline Miller
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
