Abu Dhabi-based taxi driver Jamshed Ali has become a social media sensation for all the right reasons. A sign on the back of his car reads: "This is an Uber Careem taxi but it's free for disabled and sick people, if they don't have money, so no problem, I will give you a ride for free. If you can give happiness by helping someone then you are the luckiest person in the world." Ali also provides free water, snacks, and mobile charging in his vehicle. The Pakistani expat has been doing this for the past 1.5 years and finds immense joy in it.

"Earlier I used to drive a metered taxi that automatically started when people got in so there were limitations in what I could do," he told Khaleej Times. "However, ever since I started driving for Careem, there is more flexibility and I try to give free rides to at least 4 or 5 people a day, even if it is very short distances."

The youngest of four brothers, Ali had always dreamt of helping people as a child. After working as a taxi driver for almost four years, he saved up Dh80,000 and decided to start his own restaurant. However, he was defrauded by an unscrupulous agent, who took his money and disappeared. "I had dreamt of starting my own business and helping more people but that wasn’t to be," he said. In the days that followed, Ali struggled to eat even one meal a day. "I went through great hardships and there were times when I went a few days without meals," he recalled. "However, I was lucky as my family arranged some money for me and I was able to make the down payment on a taxi. This was 1.5 years ago and since then, I have been driving for Careem."

Ali always keeps a cooler full of water bottles and snacks in his car. "During my hard days, I was often hungry so I want to make sure no one else goes through that," he said. "Some people cannot afford to eat anything. Then there are people who are rushing to their destination in the morning and book my taxi. I always ask them if they have eaten something; if they haven’t, I offer them a snack. It is good to start the morning with some kind of breakfast."

As someone who drives around the city every day, Ali sees all kinds of struggles. "Sometimes I see people who were a minute or two late, and are running after the bus," he said. "I keep thinking about how they need to reach office on time and how missing that bus would ruin the day. In such instances, I offer to drop them off at the next bus stop so that they can still make it to office on time. I can’t stand to see people struggling. It makes me very unhappy."

He also often gives lifts to people who wait in the heat for a long time. "I have met people who have waited for two hours due to various reasons and they are just so thankful for the help," he said. "The relief and smile on their face when someone offers help is something I cannot describe in words."

Ali said he is often ridiculed by his friends and family for spending on helping other people. "Some people mock me, saying that although I have been in UAE for six years, I have not been able to save anything," he said. "But I have been helping people and that is a big enough reward for me."

Ever since his sign went viral, Ali has been fielding call after call. "I have no idea who posted my sign on social media or when," he said. "But I have been flooded with calls since then. My friends told me to start an account on Instagram and Tiktok and said I could make money with it. But I don’t do these things for fame or money. In fact too much money could make me greedy. So I prefer to stay off social media."

Although he initially declined to provide a photograph, Ali finally relented after his friends urged him to. "I just want to tell people that it doesn’t cost a lot to help someone else," he said. "You don’t have to be rich or go out of the way to help. If everyone can do one small thing to help others, it helps you sleep very peacefully at night."

Ali is now waiting for the day when he pays off his taxi fully and doesn’t need to pay the monthly installment of Dh6,500. "Once I pay it off, I can help more people with my car," he said. "Hopefully that will happen soon."

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