I am proud to have witnessed all of Dubai’s development within the past 37 years,’ says Al-Fateh Al-Toum, a Sudanese who has been working for Dubai Electricity and Water Authority since 1981.

Al-Toum says that he is among the first Arabs to work in the desalination industry in the emirate. The difficult challenges he faced at work back then taught him to rely on himself; he is now a laboratory and environmental support specialist.

He adds in an interview with Dubai Post, ‘One of the main reasons for Dubai's success is the Dubai Government Performance Award, which encourages all governmental bodies to develop, work hard and diligently in accordance with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s vision’.