Dubai Airports employee was not busy on phone, but working during Shaikh Mohammed visit

Dubai - Authorities quash rumours on social media that airport worker was 'busy on his phone' instead of attending to a passenger at counter.

By Curated by Yousuf Saifuddin Kapadia

Published: Wed 31 Aug 2016, 10:40 PM

Last updated: Thu 12 Jan 2023, 3:22 PM

Dubai Media Office quashed rumours late Tuesday night regarding a picture of a Dubai Airports employee circulating on social media.

Apparently, rumours were making rounds on social media - based on a picture - that a Dubai Airports employee had lost his job as he seemed to have not been attending to the passenger standing at his counter, and was instead 'busy' on his phone as His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Dubai Ruler's passed by during the inspection tour earlier this week.

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The media arm of the Dubai government confirmed that the employee was working and attending to the passenger, and not 'busy on his phone', during the surprise visit.

The Media Office has urged residents to avoid spreading such rumours and fabricating stories.

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai tweeted a picture of the employee in question to give a complete picture of what he was actually doing.

The GDRFA tweeted that the employee was verifying the passenger's passport and stamping the entry stamp, instead of ' being busy' on his phone, as assumed by people.

It is noteworthy that the Dubai Ruler, earlier this week, made a surprise visit to government departments early morning. The visits included the Dubai Municipality, the Dubai Lands Department, and the Economic Development Department (DED) and Dubai Airports.

Surprisingly, directors and senior officials of the said departments were not present during Shaikh Mohammed's surprise visit, according to the posts of Khalifa Saeed Salman, Director of the Protocol Department of Dubai on social media.

Social media users, however, praised Shaikh Mohammed's visits.

On Monday, Shaikh Mohammed also lauded Jameela bint Salem Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Public Education, for her dedication and work ethos, as she had reported to duty just three weeks after giving birth.

The Ruler took to social media to acknowledge and congratulate her.

"This is a message to officers, be they seniors or juniors. They have to report for duty on time," some of them said. On Monday, Shaikh Mohammed had ordered nine Dubai Municipality officials to retire to make way for young blood.