'Bless You, Ma'am': UAE Resident Recalls President's Warmth At Flag Day Event

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) When Fujairah resident Shamja Mujeeb got an email from her company saying she was being nominated for a flag-hoisting ceremony, she thought that it was an event at the company's headquarters. What she didn't know was that the UAE President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, had nominated her for a coveted honour.

On Monday, she became one of the 55 accomplished and talented individuals from various sectors who were invited to the flag-hoisting ceremony at Qasr Al Watan.“I still cannot believe it,” she said.“I feel like Alice in Wonderland. He shook hands with me and said, 'Bless you ma'am'. I had goosebumps.”

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She added that Sheikh Mohamed took his time to talk to every individual who was invited.“He spoke to each one of us calmly and took a lot of time,” she said.“He asked us about our work and thanked us for our efforts. He said that despite the regional conflict, the UAE was standing strong. After speaking to each one of us, he said that he was happier to meet us than we were to meet him.”

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She said that she had often read stories of people who had met the UAE Rulers in newspapers.“You read these stories about how people were lucky enough to meet the Rulers, and I never imagined that I would get this opportunity,” she said. "I can't even say that it is a dream come true because I did not imagine such a meeting even in my dreams."

'The respect he gave'

She said the respect Sheikh Mohamed showed every individual left a deep impression on her. "The respect he gave, I never thought I would get it," she said. "It was God's blessings and my parents' prayers."

She added that meeting the President made her reflect on her own life. "I thought I was down to earth," she said. "But when I met him, I felt I need to improve. He is the President and yet he took so much interest in our lives.”

For Shamja, the experience was not just about the honour of meeting the UAE President. It was a reminder of the values her parents instilled in her.

"When I was studying, my father died," she said. "My mother lived for us. My parents supported my sister, who is now a gold medallist PhD and head of the English department at Calicut University. They wanted us to study what we wanted."

She said her husband and children have been her pillars of support. "During the peak months, I used to close the door and work," she said. "My husband and kids would bring food. My children put a pillow on my chair so I could work comfortably."

Almost didn't make it

Shamja said that the first inkling she got about this was when she got an email from HR saying that she was nominated for a flag hoisting event.“The email said flag hoisting with the President,” she said.“I thought it was the President of the company I work for.”

It was only weeks later, when talking to an Emirati colleague that she realised that the flag-hoisting ceremony was with the UAE President.“That was a very shocking moment for me,” she said.“But even then, I wasn't sure if I was selected because it was just a nomination.”

The email inviting her to the event came on Friday.“As per the email, I had to be at the event at 7.45am on Monday,” she said.“It advised me to stay in Abu Dhabi overnight on Sunday because the roads would be busy due to ADIPEC.”

However, Shamja said that she almost didn't make it to the event. Her mother, who lives with her, suddenly fell ill and was hospitalised a few days prior to the invite.

“She was in the hospital and when we brought her home, she couldn't be left alone at all,” she said.“My house help was on vacation, and my husband had a previously committed engagement. I was on the verge of replying to the email from the Presidential Court that I wouldn't be able to make it. But my eldest son stepped up and said that he would stay home from school and be with my mother.”

A career built on teamwork

Shamja is a senior executive at Fujairah Terminals, part of Abu Dhabi Ports, where she handles commercial operations including sales, pricing, vessel acceptance and commercial strategy.

She said her team's response during the Strait of Hormuz crisis, when vessels were waiting outside Fujairah and Khorfakkan, was a defining moment.

"When the war happened, all of UAE's vessels had been accommodated here," she said. "Our management and leadership handled it. Everyone worked together. I was able to contribute to this. But it is not a personal achievement. If I didn't have a good team, I wouldn't have been able to do it."

She described the months of March, April and May as a period of non-stop work, with her team working 24/7 to coordinate shipping lines and prioritise essential commodities, pharmaceuticals and necessities.

"We developed an AI tool to coordinate with the digital team and populate the priority percentage," she said. "We had to pivot quickly. It was a lot of people working together, with synergy to ensure that imports to the country happened without stopping."

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