Personal Information
The late Emirati Businessman; Mr. Abdulsalam Rafi – may Allah have mercy on him – was a prominent social figure, who played a highly significant role in the charitable and humanitarian domains in the UAE and abroad. Mr. Rafi exhibited distinct philanthropic and patriotic tendencies at all times; and he had always been offering help to his fellow citizens whenever it was needed. Through numerous impressive initiatives, Mr. Rafi shared wealth with the wider community and helped to spread good will among various branches of society.
Abdulsalam Rafi had four children and fifteen grandchildren. He started working at the age of thirteen as a merchant at Al Ras area in the Grand Market in Dubai. His business went through considerable expansion in the 1970s; this growth was attributed to international trade (import and export) as well as to the real estate business.
Achievements and Initiatives
Mr. Rafi gradually became a household name in UAE; he was regarded by the public as a highly respected and truly modest Emirati figure. On the other hand, he was a fully dedicated family man who raised his children to be Godfearing and to do the good deeds. Mr.Rafi's guidance and deeds were always geared towards returning the favor of his homeland that already gave him and his family a great deal.
He had been famous for his outstanding generosity and openhandedness through his pioneering initiatives and continuous endeavors. Oftentimes, he was able to find potential room for improvement in UAE healthcare system, and then he would work hard to fill up these gaps in order to better these services for both UAE nationals and expats. In 1998 Late Abdulsalam Rafi started a diabetes treatment center at Al Baraha Hospital, this center currently provides healthcare for thousands of patients annually.
In 2012 he donated AED38 million for establishing a two story complex to house out-patient clinics at Rashid Hospital in Dubai. The first floor contains diagnostic laboratories and radiology rooms along with 42 rooms, which include a wound clinic, pharmacy, lactation room, prayer room and cafeteria. The second floor consists of 42 rooms for all medical specialties including surgery.
The complex contains 84 clinics of various medical specialties in order to increase the capacity of out-patient clinics at Rashid Hospital from 100,000 patients per year to 200,000. Moreover, he added 85 new hospital beds to Internal Medicine Departments in order to avoid hospital overcrowding. Late Abdulsalam Rafi – may Allah have mercy on him – contributed frequently to governmental charitable initiatives such as, "Dubai Cares" and similar campaigns to help afflicted people in various Islamic States and to build mosques, schools and hospitals.
Awards and Recognition
In 2012, he was declared the Character of the Month by the "Emarat Alyoum" Newspaper in appreciation of his initiatives in the charitable and humanitarian domains.
He received the "Watani Al Emarat" Award at its first term, which was held with the theme of "This Is What Zayed Loved". This was a clear recognition of his distinguished role in supporting humanitarian and philanthropic endeavors, which stemmed from his true Emirati character and his adherence to the most altruistic of principles.
In May 2014, Mr. Abdulsalam Rafi suffered ill health and passed away at the age of 71. His last wish was for UAE to achieve further progress and prosperity, and that young Emiratis would build on the achievements of their ancestors while observing the teachings of Islam and Prophetical Sunna.
Late Abdulsalam Rafi did indeed leave an impressive and everlasting legacy through his massive support of the public health sector in UAE, therefore he deserves Sheikh Hamdan Award for Distinct Medical Personalities in UAE for the term 2013-2014.
