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How moving to Dubai changed everything for this Pakistani family of determination
Muhammad Abu Bakar recalls how he felt when he first landed in Dubai and experienced how people of determination were treated in the UAE
- PUBLISHED: Fri 8 Aug 2025, 7:00 AM UPDATED: Fri 8 Aug 2025, 9:09 AM
A life of determination is not new for Muhammad Abu Bakar, who has been disabled since birth. The 32-year-old is one of three people of determination in his family — and he says life changed completely for them after they moved from Pakistan to Dubai.
Muhammad has gone through multiple surgeries in his life, to correct his alignment, after he was born with his left leg 30cm shorter than his right.
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However, the surgeries did not help with the dis-alignment, and he continues to stand in a tilted manner. As a child, he recalls not being able to join in events and physical play that other kids participated in, due to difficulty in running and walking. "However, mentally we [people of determination] are very energetic," he said.
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As he grew up, school life proved difficult for Muhammad, with social gatherings becoming a hotspot for bullying by kids and even elders. Even as an adult, he recalled jobs rejecting him as a candidate not because of physical capabilities, but because of concerns about company "image" and whether clients would be willing to accept a person of determination.
However, his life started looking up when he met his wife, to whom he has now been married for 6 years. Talia Abu Bakar also has a by-birth disability in both her legs.
"It was an arranged marriage, and I was not initially aware that she was also differently abled. When I got to know her, I thought the proposal was made for me, since I know the struggles of being differently abled very well."
The couple look after Muhammad's elderly mother, who he describes as the "light of our life" — Shahnaz Naseer, an Islamic teacher, who was left disabled after a road accident in 2013. She was commuting to an event, along with other teachers, when she met with an accident on the highway.
The accident occurred when an inter-city bus crashed with her car on the highway; while everyone in the car survived, most of them were left with injuries.
Shahnaz was left with three broken discs, limited walking ability, and forced to use a wheelchair if she had to leave the house. Muhammad says he's just gratefu she is alive. "She is our life; Allah has blessed us".
Move to Dubai
Despite everything, blessings included, Muhammad says he found "people of determination were not welcome" in his own homeland.
"I am [not reluctant] to say this; it is due to a lack of knowledge and understanding in some people," he added.
He recalled hearing from a lot of people that the UAE is a very inclusive place for people of determination.
At a point in his life when he was ready to transition to a new job, he decided to move to Dubai. "I had saved up some money, and I wanted to invest in myself, my wife and family."
The decision changed his life.
"When we entered Dubai, life took a 180-degree turn. There are a lot of facilities, including free Salik, free parking etc, and people respect us."
He recalled the day they arrived at the airport, it was his first experience of how people of determination were treated in the UAE.
Muhammad recalled "the first scenario in [his] life, when I realised that people of determination are welcomed."
"As soon as we landed at the Dubai airport for the first time, and got out of the metro connecting us to the immigration counter, a security guard approached us. He recognised that we were people of determination along with a little child, and offered to take us on the golf cart-like shuttle within the airport."
The family now lives in the UAE, and enjoys support from authorities like the Ministry of Community Empowerment and Dubai's Community Development Authority.
Physical challenges
Muhammad has a close-knit family who rely on each other to fill the gaps and take on tasks that certain members cannot do.
The three people of determination have varying levels of disability; Muhammad is most able to take on more physically challenging tasks such as getting groceries, while his wife manages the house "with grace," he said.
However, certain aspects of life remain as a hurdle. For instance, the family members do not take road trips to far-off places, as travelling for long can be physically tasking for the three.
But the challenges are not just physical; it is also about 'normalising' their life to the family's youngest member — Muhammad's five-year-old daughter.
For the young girl, "it is surprising" that her parents and grandmother cannot help her with thrilling rides or physical-heavy play at parks or outdoor destinations, like other parents do, Muhammad said.
However, the Dubai resident is introducing his daughter to other people of determination, and their routines, to allow her to understand that this is not an isolated way of life.
"I am teaching her that if something is less in us, there will be other things which are more in us."
Poojaraj Maniyeri is a Digital Journalist who loves turning everyday conversations into news stories. She is also a typical bookworm, and brings a novel with her everywhere she goes.
