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'Every day, he'd say he wants to die a martyr': Father of fallen UAE pilot at funeral
First Lieutenant Ali Saleh Ismail Al Tunaiji's father said his son told his friends before his final mission: ‘Rest at home. I will die a martyr in your place'
- PUBLISHED: Wed 11 Mar 2026, 1:54 PM UPDATED: Wed 11 Mar 2026, 2:04 PM
The morning before his last mission, First Lieutenant Ali Saleh Ismail Al Tunaiji called his friends. “Rest at home,” he told them. “I will die a martyr in your place.” It was not a dramatic farewell; it was, by his father’s account, simply what Ali always said.
On Monday, the UAE Armed Forces pilot was martyred when a helicopter crashed due to a technical malfunction while he and Saeed Rashid Hamad Al Balushi were carrying out their national duty. The UAE Ministry of Defence announced the martyrdom of both officers, extending its deepest condolences to their families.
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At the funeral, speaking to Al Etihad news, his father said Al Tunaiji loved his work: “From the very beginning, he wished to serve in the military and become a pilot. And when he served, he did it with dedication and diligence. He was proud to serve the nation."
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That pride, the father made clear, was mutual. “As much as we are saddened by his departure,” he told Al Etihad News, “we are proud because he fell serving his nation and in martyrdom.”
His words found a powerful echo in a voice message Ali had sent to his family before his final mission, a message that has since moved the nation. In it, he said: “The great reward comes from the Lord of the worlds. If it is written that we are to be among the martyrs, then we shall be martyred. And if God grants us life, it is enough for us that you are well, sleeping and at peace.”
‘A man, and what a man’
In an interview with Barq UAE, Ali’s father described his son not only as a soldier, but as someone deeply devoted to his family, his home and his duty. “A man, and what a man,” he said. “He loved his home and his family. He loved his country and his profession. He wished to become a martyr, and he achieved that honour.”
The father recalled that Ali’s wish for martyrdom was not a passing sentiment but a daily declaration. “Every day he would tell me: I want to die a martyr,” he said. “Every day.” And on the morning of his final mission, Ali had called his friends and told them, “Rest at home. I will die a martyr in your place.”
The father added, “God willing, he will be a source of pride for us,” he said. “We will meet him in the gardens of paradise. May God have mercy on him and forgive him, O Lord.”
Officials pay condolences
Senior UAE officials visited the families of both martyrs to offer their condolences. Lieutenant General Issa Saif bin Ablan Al Mazrouei, Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces, paid his respects to the families of Captain pilot Saeed Rashid Hamad Al Balushi and First Lieutenant Ali Saleh Ismail Al Tunaiji, both of whom were martyred following the helicopter crash while performing their national duty.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, also visited the family of Captain Saeed Rashid Hamad Al Balushi to offer condolences.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Theyab bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs, visited the family of First Lieutenant Ali Saleh Al Tunaiji to offer condolences.
The UAE’s Ministry of Defence held a full military funeral ceremony on Tuesday at Zayed Military Hospital in Abu Dhabi, according to full state honours to both fallen pilots. The ceremony was attended by the families of the martyrs, as well as senior leaders and officers from the Ministry of Defence.
Ruqayya Alqaydi is a Special Correspondent with an endless curiosity to learn. Like a journalist on a caffeine overdrive, she is fuelled by passion and on a mission to uncover every gem in the UAE.