'Man With Kindest Heart': Employee Remembers UAE Visionary Hussain Khansaheb

The UAE community mourned the loss of a visionary leader in construction and a philanthropist with the death of Hussain Abdulrahman Khansaheb . Taking over the reins of the Khansaheb civil engineering company in 1954 after the death of his uncle, Hussain was able to transform the organization into one of the most impactful one in the construction industry.

An employee of the company remembered him as someone who“never turned away a person in need” and whose primary concern was the people. Hassan Al Ameer, Senior Project Manager of Facilities Management at Khansaheb Group has been working there for ten years and closely interacted with Hussain.

"When I would go to the administration office, I would find him waiting downstairs with his son Tariq and they would be discussing company matters,” he recalled.“There was a group of 34 houses in Ras Al Khaimah that the company built, and I was asked to hand over the houses to the government because I was from the emirate. While I was in the process, he would periodically ask about the houses and whether people had moved in. The most important thing for him was that the people who were truly in need would live in these houses."

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According to Hassan, Hussain's charitable nature knew no bounds.“I do not remember him ever turning away someone in need, whether at his home or at the office. He never refused anyone,” he said.

“The most important thing for him was how he treated people. When one of his longtime employees died during the COVID-19 pandemic, they asked his wife what she wanted. She was Indian but requested to stay in the UAE. He ordered that the company should cover her housing and renew her residency. This was not the first or only incident. There are many other incidents, but this is one that I witnessed myself.”

Hassan added that the deceased businessman's charity projects were not limited to the UAE and were there in several countries.“I don't how many orphans and widows will weep after his death,” he said.“My knowledge of him was very limited but he was a man with the kindest heart.”

It was after Hussain took over that the Khansaheb company began focusing on construction. This led to them building several key landmarks in the UAE including St. Mary's Church in 1967, Clock Tower roundabout in 1969 and Sharjah Airport in 1975.

Taking to social media platform X, Vice President of the UAE and Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum remembered him as a“pioneer in infrastructure projects” and as someone who has been immortalized with his charitable work. Other social media users remembered him fondly.“We have lost a noble man, known for his generosity humility and good character, who left an everlasting impact on society through his humanitarian and charitable work,” wrote one commentator.

Another one wrote,“Every home he built and every life he touched, lit a beacon of hope in hearts. His memory will remain a guiding light on the path of humanity.”

In 2021, he was honoured with the esteemed Abu Dhabi Award by UAE Ruler Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed for his humanitarian work. During the ceremony, Sheikh Mohamed tenderly kissed him on his head before handing over the award.

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