Meet Dubai Businessman Who Helped Free 20,000 Prisoners, Plans More Releases In Ramadan

2026-02-20 04:17:24

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Much of the release effort is carried out in coordination with authorities and in partnership with the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation

PUBLISHED: Fri 20 Feb 2026, 12:44 PM

By:
Mazhar Farooqui

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Dubai-based Indian businessman and philanthropist Firoz Merchant has spent nearly two decades helping debt-ridden prisoners walk free across the UAE-a mission that has seen over 20,000 inmates released since 2008.

In Ramadan 2026, he continues the initiative. So far this year, 497 prisoners have been released, with more cases expected during the holy month. At the same time, Merchant is turning his attention to cancer patients struggling with the cost of treatment. However, the prisoner release programme remains central to his humanitarian work.

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Much of the release effort is carried out in coordination with authorities and in partnership with the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, an Abu Dhabi-based charitable organisation focused on humanitarian and welfare initiatives.

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Merchant said the initiative runs year-round, but sees momentum in Ramadan.

“Ramadan is a blessed month. Everyone gives in their own way,” he said during an interview at his 39th-floor office in Jumeirah Lakes Towers overlooking the Dubai skyline.“Whatever I am able to do is because Allah has enabled me. If He has given me the means, then I must use it.”

Asked about last year's scale, he said 2,972 prisoners from more than 50 nationalities were released across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah, with Dh2.4 million contributed towards clearing their debts. In many cases, he also paid for their air tickets home.

Ramadan Prayer Time Table 2026

“These are not hardened criminals,” he said.“Most are victims of circumstance - people who fell into financial difficulty and could not repay debts. They deserve another chance.”

Last year, Merchant also contributed Dh1 million towards dialysis treatment and other medical expenses for 11 patients through the Dubai Charity Association, many of whom had no other financial support.

This year, his focus is shifting.

On February 18, the first day of Ramadan, he was in Abu Dhabi meeting officials of the Cancer Care Society to discuss financial support for patients facing mounting treatment costs.

“The kidney cases have stabilised a little,” he said.“So my focus now is cancer, along with the prisoner release.”

Cancer treatment, he said, can drain a family's resources very quickly.

"Treatment is expensive,” he said.“Many of the patients are elderly or children, and by the time assistance is arranged, families have often used up their savings."

Merchant said he plans to commit between Dh500,000 and Dh700,000 towards cancer care this year, and if required, the amount could increase to Dh1 million.

“I stand where the need is greatest,” he said.“Right now, that includes cancer patients who can't afford treatment.”

Mosque in each emirate

Beyond prisoner releases and medical support, he is also building mosques across the country.

At his office, he pointed to a scale model of a mosque planned in Al Furjan, Dubai, saying the permit has been received and construction will begin soon. The project forms part of a broader plan to build one mosque in each of the seven emirates, accommodating between 1,000 and 1,200 worshippers.

He said a mosque project in Fujairah's Mohammed Bin Zayed City is under process, while in Umm Al Quwain, an older mosque dating back to the 1970s is being demolished to make way for a larger structure.

“It has been my lifelong dream to do something lasting for the country that has given me so much,” he said.

The founder of Pure Gold Jewellers, which now operates more than 150 stores across 12 countries, Merchant is also chronicling his life journey in a book he plans to release later this year.

From growing up in modest circumstances in Mumbai to building an international jewellery brand and dedicating much of his later years to philanthropy, he said his motivation remains simple.

“If someone returns home to their family because a debt was cleared, that is enough,” he said.“If someone can continue treatment because we stepped in, that is enough. The rest is in Allah's hands.”