'I will miss her kindness': Tributes pour in for 24-year-old Emirati racer Hamda Taryam after untimely death

For Captain Omar Al Attar, the first thing that comes to mind when he thinks of his friend and business partner Hamda Taryam is her smile. “If anyone mentions Hamda, they will tell you how she is always smiling,” he said, speaking to Khaleej Times. “Whoever you are, she will smile at you and anyone who saw that smile never forgot it.”

Omar was paying tribute to the Emirati racer who died in the early hours of Saturday. The 24-year-old, who started racing as a teenager, shot to fame as the star of the Netflix show 'The Fastest'. It is yet unclear how she died.

However, the one thing he will miss the most about her is her kindness. “She never said no to anyone who asked her for help,” he recalled. “Even if she was driving and tired, if she spotted someone on the roadside with some issue with their car, she would stop and help them. She helped as many people as she could. I will miss her so much.”

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When Omar first met Hamda to discuss an event, his first impression was that she looked like a child. But he was blown away with her ideas and commitment to work. The duo along with their friend Lana Moosa then went on to work on several projects later.

Planning ahead

An entrepreneur and philanthropist, Hamda used her earnings to build a school and hospital in Uganda. She also built the Hamda health community centre in the same area. According to Omar, she was taking care of 400 orphans in the country. Despite her death, her work will continue unabated.

“Even though she was young, she was very smart,” he said. “She had huge plans for her charity. She wanted to build 10 hospitals in 10 different countries. She planned everything in such a way that even if something happens to her, her charity would continue unaffected.”

On Sunday, Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah visited Hamda’s family and allocated Dh1 million through Sharjah Charity Association to complete the projects she began in Uganda.

In an interview with Khaleej Times in August last year, Hamda shared her joy in working for others. “When I first saw the kids coming into the school, I cried,” she said. “Many of them, they are orphans. This school is the only hope they have. I am the only family they have. Their love was so pure.”

Social media

Ever since the news of her death, tributes have been pouring in for the youngster.

“It is with great sadness and grief that we received the news of her (Taryam) death this (Saturday) morning. We hope the Almighty will give her family fortitude,” UAE media personality Munzir Al Muzaki Al Shamsi shared in a post

Influencer Ryan Taylor posted a photo of Hamda in which he wrote “It is with deep sadness that today we lost one of the most talented and pure hearted spirits I’ve ever had the blessing of knowing. We will miss you forever and always hamdooski. Until we drive again. I pray god protects your soul and has mercy and forgiveness on you in heaven.”

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The burial and funeral prayers for Hamda took place on Saturday evening after Isha prayers. Condolence meets were held for men and women separately, as is the Emirati custom.

An avid social media user, Hamda’s last few posts on social media platform Snapchat show her sharing details about her day including her breakfast. Her last post was on Friday at 5.58pm, in which she said she was driving to Abu Dhabi.

(With inputs from Ruqayya Alqaydi)

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