Polish expat Kajetan Hubner, who recently relocated to Dubai, was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome and the exceptional honesty of the city's residents. After mistakenly overpaying Dh17,000 for a delivery that should have cost Dh1,700, Kajetan received a call from the delivery rider, Muhammad Mohsin Nazir, who informed him of the error and offered to return the excess amount.
"I didn't realize I had paid him extra and thought I had either dropped my cash or lost it," Kajetan recounted to Khaleej Times. "The next day, he messaged me, explaining that I had made a mistake and that he would return the money. I was astonished to get my money back. Since then, we've stayed in constant contact; we're like brothers now."
For Muhammad, the realization came as a shock when he counted the money at the end of his shift. "I kept rechecking the delivery order and counting the money," he said. "I wondered if I was seeing things and if a zero was missing. I confirmed with my colleagues that I hadn't made a mistake. Then I thought maybe it was a huge tip, but no one tips that much."
Muhammad's mother called from Pakistan at that moment, and he shared his confusion with her. She advised him to contact Kajetan immediately and confirm the situation. "She told me not to keep a dirham from that money without checking with him," Muhammad said.
That evening, Muhammad deposited Dh1,750 with Noon and ensured no cash was missing. The following day, he contacted Kajetan and returned the money.
Kajetan and his girlfriend were staying in a hotel while searching for a house in Dubai Marina. "I wanted to buy an e-scooter to move around the neighborhood. I found a good deal on Noon," Kajetan said. Being new to the emirate, he chose cash on delivery.
"When Muhammad arrived to deliver the scooter, he was very considerate and offered to bring it to my room," Kajetan recalled. "But I took it from him at the lift and thanked him. I then paid the amount and tipped him before going up to my room."
Kajetan didn't realize he had paid Dh17,050 instead of Dh1,750. "In Poland, the largest bill we have is 500 złoty," he explained. "I thought the notes I had were Dh500, but they were Dh1,000. I handed him the money, and he didn't count it. I thought maybe that's how things are done in Dubai."
It wasn't until lunchtime that Kajetan noticed his money was missing. He and his girlfriend searched the room for two hours. "We had seven suitcases with all our belongings scattered everywhere," he said. "It was total chaos, and we were trying to find the money. Eventually, I thought I lost it. I thought it fell out of my pocket when I paid for the delivery. My girlfriend asked if I had accidentally paid too much, but I was confident I hadn't."
The day after the incident, Kajetan was disheartened. "It was a lot of money, and I wasn't sure how to move on," he said. "That's when I got a message from Muhammad about the extra cash. I couldn't believe what I was reading."
That afternoon, Muhammad returned the money to Kajetan. "I offered him Dh300, but he refused to take it," Kajetan said. "He said his true reward is with Allah and that it was his duty to return the money. I had to insist he accept it. I'm so grateful for his honesty because he could have easily kept it, and no one would have known."
Kajetan's girlfriend filmed the exchange, which he later posted on social media with Muhammad's permission. The story has since gone viral, and Noon has rewarded Muhammad for his honesty.
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