On July 15, Nesma Farahat was wrapping up her workday at her home office in Downtown Dubai when something outside the window caught her eye.
A cleaner tending to the street had drawn a heart on the pavement, using fallen petals from the trees. After a while, he swept it away. The moment was so sweet, she captured a snap.
“It was so heartwarming to watch him doing it but also bittersweet because you don’t know the emotion behind it. You want it to be happiness,” says Farahat.
The National has located the man, Ramesh Gangarajam Gandi, who works as a housekeeping attendant with facilities management provider Emrill.
Gandi hails from Telangana, India, and came to Dubai 10 months ago to take up his position with Emrill. On the day the picture was taken, he was just finishing his duties when he thought about his wife, leading him to draw the heart.
Gandi got married just a month before relocating to the UAE, and his wife has stayed in India.
“I have been enjoying my work and it has really helped keep my mind busy, but on that day, I was missing my wife and wishing I could spend time with her. I know a lot of people are missing those they love and feel the same way I do,” he says.
Like many around the world, Gandi’s life has been affected by the pandemic in numerous ways.
“I have been thinking about my parents and wife back home in India, and my brothers in Oman, and hoping they are all OK," he says.
“Unfortunately, my father has been taken ill recently, so I will be returning to India on leave to spend some time with him and will come back to my job in a month or so."
'I didn’t even know anyone was watching me'
Since the image was posted on Instagram on Sunday, July 19, it has gone viral. Numerous people have approached Farahat, trying to locate Gandi.
“The Good News Movement account, which has 1.5 million followers, posted it as an Instastory,” she says.
“Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi also shared it as an Instagram Story."
Dubai arts and crafts company The Happy Box reposted the image, describing it as the "best thing we’ve seen all year".
"A bittersweet moment. Think this resonates with us all, we are all longing to be with our loved ones," read the caption.
Meanwhile, numerous people have approached Farahat asking if there is any way they can reach out to Gandi, or thank him for making their day brighter.
“It’s been amazing to see how many people have taken an interest in what I thought was an innocent picture,” she says.
Gandi is also surprised by the attention the photograph has received.
"Someone saw the photograph and got a gift for me, which she passed on to my colleague to give to me," he says.
“I was so touched. I didn’t think something as simple as creating a heart out of petals would be interesting for other people – I didn’t even know anyone was watching.”
Now read: how a Dubai Facebook group ended up helping 10,000 people in need
The kindness exchange Stop and Help has helped many families across the country since its inception in March. Click here to read the story.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The biog
Favourite pet: cats. She has two: Eva and Bito
Favourite city: Cape Town, South Africa
Hobby: Running. "I like to think I’m artsy but I’m not".
Favourite move: Romantic comedies, specifically Return to me. "I cry every time".
Favourite spot in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat beach
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Brief scoreline:
Tottenham 1
Son 78'
Manchester City 0
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community
• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style
“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.
Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.
From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”
• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International
"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."
• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."
• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com
"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.
His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.
Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."
• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher
"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”
• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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