Firoz Merchant: Man with a golden heart

Gulf News

Firoz Merchant: Man with a golden heart. Dubai-based businessman Firoz Merchant spends millions to help UAE's debt-laden prisoners.  See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv

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00:00I came in 1989 to Dubai to start my career under the name of Pure Gold Jewelers.

00:16With the time gradually, gradually when I got progress and the position into my business

00:22and in industry, that time I recall my past and I remember the word of my mother, which

00:30she always tell me, keep in mind, first we are human, thereafter everything.

00:37And then I started to look after the society.

00:40In 1998, there was one amnesty program happening to UAE, 350 persons I sent back home to India

00:51through the government of India.

00:53Thereafter in 2008, everybody knows the global economic crisis came, lot of the blue-collar

01:01people were suffering.

01:03Thereafter I started to do something towards the people if I can do something for them

01:10and I approached the higher authority of the UAE.

01:13I met them and I spoke to them.

01:15I gave them my consent to support and they were very kind enough to me.

01:21They said, yes, whatever you need support, we will give you.

01:24And I started to release the prisoners from the prisons in all the emirates from 2008.

01:31From 2008 till now, we released almost 4,500 prisoners from the all UAE sent back home.

01:41Initially we invested $3 million and now 2017 again, I started to release more prisoners.

01:50As we know, 2016 was a little bit tough, challenging and downturn of global economy.

01:58So many people were in trouble, which I decided to send back them home.

02:03The very important things when I started to send back home in 2017, in the last week of

02:09January, till date we released 700 prisoners we sent back home.

02:18From January last week till the February now, we are into the second week.

02:24Almost you can say in three weeks, we sent 700 prisoners sent back home from all emirates.

02:32Thereafter we plan to send another 300 by the end of this month, which is already in

02:37process.

02:38So having a target to release approximately 1,000 by the end of February.

02:47At this present, I don't think so I have to found the one charity firm, because whatever

02:53I want to do, I want to do based on my own capacity, what I want to do with my own financial

02:59strength.

03:01And I don't want to go in to ask about any financial support, only asking to the people

03:08only come forward and do something which the society need and required.

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