Maj-Gen. Ismail Abdullah Al Gergawi joined the Dubai Police in 1966 in spite of opposition from his family. The veteran officer joined the force as a teenager and retired in 2004.
“Joining the police was not a very popular career choice when I first started.” My relatives weren’t in favor of it,” Al Gergawi said to Khaleej Times. “Yet, I loved working in the military and was committed to serving my community. There was no army, and I joined the police as soon as they were formed.”
At a ceremony celebrating the 68th anniversary of the Dubai Police, the retired officer was one of those honored.
The Dubai Police Force was initially made up of people from a variety of nationalities.
“Citizens at that time did not want to work in the Dubai Police, because it was something new and strange to them,” said Al Gergawi. “Some joined the police, spent a week or 10 days, and then left.”
Al Gergawi persisted though, and eventually more Emirati nationals joined the army.
“Four years later, more and more citizens came forward,” he stated. “I kept working for over thirty years, in traffic, police stations, and operations. In addition, I oversaw the Dubai Police Academy as its director.”
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