Watch: When Sheikh Mohamed called UAE's first Emirati female mechanic to get his 'car fixed'

The new UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is a people's leader. His majlis is open to one and all; he pays surprise visits to Emiratis and expats, and personally calls up residents whose good work impresses him.

In 2021, Huda Al Matroushi, an Emirati woman who beat gender stereotypes to open a garage in Sharjah, got a phone call. The caller was none other than Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed.

Sheikh Mohamed tells her that he needs to get his car fixed, making her smile.

In a video that went viral on social media, an emotional Al Matroushi tears up when the then Abu Dhabi Crown Prince congratulates her on opening her very own car repair workshop, Imex Car Service, and accomplishing the one-of-a-kind feat.

He tells her, "I was so happy to hear about you that I asked my team to learn more about you. You are a great human being, which shows in the great efforts you put into your work.

"We all follow role models. We are proud to have someone like you among us. We encourage you and will support you... because you are a role model for others."

The leader even apologised to Al Matroushi for the "late call", to which she replied that she would "wait for a lifetime for your call; you are the pride of our nation".

The Emirati accepted the acknowledgement from the leader, who insisted that she continues to fiercely walk this path of turning her ambitions into reality.

Al Matroushi tells Sheikh Mohamed: "You taught us that we never lose; we either win or learn."

The leader then asks her how long she has been chasing her passion. "I have had this hobby for over 16 years, but I started this work in 2020," she replies.

In an interview with Khaleej Times last year, Al Matroushi expressed her pride in receiving the phone call.

"It took me by surprise. It hadn't occurred to me that someone like that would call. All this has been reassuring. He told me that I am a powerful woman who can reach anywhere if she puts her mind to it. I said, 'Absolutely, I will'."

Al Matroushi owns and runs her garage, which is a brick and mortar materialisation of the car mechanic's childhood dream and fascination with toy cars. Bolsters and pliers in hand, she defies age-old stereotypes of archaic gender roles, repairing more than just automobiles through her garage.

Al Matroushi is among the several people who have received a call from Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in recent years.

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In August 2020, he called Ghobaisha Al Ketbi, a resident of Al Shuwaib area in Al Ain, to personally thank her for generously supporting the police officers at a checkpoint near her home with meals.

In December 2020, Sheikh Mohamed called up the families of the heroes who passed away while battling Covid-19, telling them that the UAE will never forget their sacrifices.

In March 2021, Sheikh Mohamed dialled up a hero cop who assisted a motorist as his vehicle broke down in the middle of a busy highway.

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