Dubai: When British expat George Dennis saw multiple missed calls from Dubai Police on his phone, he was convinced it was a scam. But what the 34-year-old British expat did not realise was the calls really were from an officer at Dubai Police, genuinely trying to reach out to him, to return money he had lost.
“I ignored the calls on Wednesday night, but when they continued the next morning, I picked up and a person who identified himself as Major Ibrahim from Dubai Police asked me, ‘You’ve lost something recently, haven’t you?’,” Dennis told Emirates 24|7.
When Dennis confirmed that he had lost AED5,000 a few days ago, the officer said: “That’s why we have been trying to get in touch with you, to have it returned to you.”
Dennis was not convinced.
“I mean, where in the world does this happen?” he said.
Even after the officer sent pictures to Dennis from the CCTV footage of the lobby where he had lost the money, the waterfront luxury broker was still sceptical.
“I thought this was the most sophisticated scam ever!”
The officer then suggested that Dennis visit the Al Barsha police station and have an officer there speak with him on the phone.
“So, I went there and told an officer at the station that someone saying he’s a Major from Dubai Police says he wants to return my money. I then gave the officer the phone, and as soon as the officer heard the voice on the phone, his face immediately changed,” Dennis said.
“He told me, ‘Dennis, this really is a senior officer from Dubai Police genuinely trying to return your money’. I was mortified,” he added.
He immediately called the officer back, apologising for not believing him and being abrupt over the phone. But not only was the officer understanding, he went even further in assisting Dennis.
AED5,000 delivered to his gym
Instead of asking Dennis to collect the money himself, Major Ibrahim arranged for two members of his team – Officer Jamal and Officer Khalid, to personally deliver the cash to him.
“They came to the gym where I was working out and gave me the envelope. Inside, was the AED5,000. Every single dirham,” he said.
The experience for Dennis was unexpected to say the least.
"I was telling them: Can I take you for dinner? Can I do anything for what you've done? I need to do something here. It's been the highlight of my year," he said.
But the officers refused his offers and had just one request insead: “Tell your friends and family what we do here in Dubai.”
The simple request made an already extraordinary experience even more meaningful for Dennis, who then asked the officers if he could share the photograph and publicly thank them on his Instagram account - @dubaigiant, to which they agreed.
"I did not just put up the reel to go viral. It was just a very genuine, honest response to tell the world what Dubai Police do when people lose valuables," he said.
"With so much negativity around the world, I think we can do with a little bit of positivity."
'The best two years of my life'
The response he’s received after putting up the post last week has just reinforced his love for the city that has very quickly become home.
Originally from Britain, Dennis spent 12 years living in Australia before moving to Dubai two years ago to start a new chapter in his life.
"They've probably been the best two years of my life," he said.
Working in the city's competitive real estate industry has not always been easy, but the city, Dennis says, rewards hard work in ways no other place does.
"Dubai rewards hardworking people. If you want to do well, Dubai will give you more opportunity, tools, equipment and connections than anywhere else in the world," he said.
The community connections, too, have been invaluable, something that was reinforced by the heartwarming responses he’s received after posting the video online.
“I’ve gotten a chance to be able to be part of place, where you feel like you’re part of the family. The reaction this video has had … I’ve had Emiratis message me saying, ‘Dubai is your family, mate’. I feel more connected to Dubai than I ever have,” he added.
One mystery still unsolved
And while Dennis has been able to personally thank the Dubai Police officers, there is still one person he hopes to know more about: “The only thing I'm yet to find out is the good Samaritan who must have found the money and reported it.”
But for now, he is simply overwhelmed by the level of professionalism and care he’s received from Dubai Police as well as the city.
"You just kind of know you're in a very special place with very special people."
