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Ras Al Khaimah: Arif Abdullah Al Tunaiji, the UAE diplomat who was injured in a bomb attack at a Kabul hotel, returned to his hometown to a hero's welcome on Friday.
The city wore a festive look with flyers and flags. Thousands of residents in Ras Al Khaimah waited for hours before a helicopter carrying Al Tunaiji landed at the Al Rams Sports Club.
Hundreds of cars bearing posters of the diplomat honked as Al Tunaiji step-ped down from the helicopter. Later they went in a procession through the town before arriving at Al Tunaiji's house two hours later.
As soon as he caught sight of his mother and wife, tears welled up in his eyes. His mother wept as she held him in a tight embrace and his wife and sister joined along with his other female relatives in a specially erected area in his house.
Al Tunaiji reaffirmed his dedication to his job. "If I receive instructions to go back to Afghanistan, I will never hesitate," said Al Tunaiji. He said he was proud of his wounds, saying "it was an honour which I received when I represented the UAE."
Profile of a diplomat
- Arif Abdullah Al Tunaiji was born in Ras Al Khaimah on December 3, 1980. He graduated at the UAE National University of Al Ain majoring in Political Science.
- He joined the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 29, 2003. He spent the first two years in the premises of the ministry itself, where in summer 2005, he was assigned as third secretary at the UAE Embassy in Kabul of Afghanistan as his first diplomatic mission.
- Arif has one brother and six sisters and had got married recently.
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