After 60 years in UAE, Indian educator gets first Dubai entry stamp

By Staff Reporter
Celebrating the spirit of ‘Year of Community,’ the Dubai Airports honoured the founder of Crescent English High School
Indian expat Haji N Jamaluddin arrived in Dubai from Mumbai by ship on February 26, 1965.
Sixty years after his original arrival, the veteran educator and founder of Crescent English High School was officially welcomed into Dubai.
He received a special immigration stamp from Dubai Airports to commemorate 60 years since his arrival in the UAE, making up for the one he never received when he first set foot in the city.
With no port and the city just taking shape in the 1960s, Haji N Jamaluddin never got a stamp on his passport, which usually documents entry and exit dates in the country.
Six decades later, his son wanted to mark the occasion by giving his father a new Dubai entry stamp.
In a heartwarming gesture that reflects the spirit of the UAE’s Year of Community, Dubai Airports helped make the son’s simple wish for his father come true.
“This new entry stamp isn’t just a mark in a passport, it’s a tribute to everything Dubai has given us,” said Jamaluddin. “My son wanted to honour the years I have spent here, and with the help of the Dubai Airports team, he made that possible.”
In a social media post, Dubai Airports celebrated his legacy and wrote: “He arrived in Dubai by sea in 1965, before there was even a port. There was no immigration stamp back then. As part of the ‘Year of Community,’ we felt privileged to finally put a stamp in his passport to celebrate a legacy shaped by service, humility, and hope. Now 90, Haji Jamaluddin still believes “education is the best weapon for enlightenment.”
Students from Crescent English High School were also invited to Dubai International (DXB) for an educational tour, which offered them a unique behind-the-scenes look at DXB’s operations.
A respected educator, chairman and founder of Crescent English High School, Jamaluddin has influenced the lives of thousands of students since opening the school in 1984.
With more than 1,700 students enrolled today, it remains one of the most affordable private schools in the UAE. Located in Al Qusais, the yearly fees at the school begin at Dh3409 annually. His philosophy is simple: “Money is not everything. Education is the best weapon for enlightenment.”
Jamaluddin credits much of his passion to the leadership of the UAE, especially the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, whom he saw regularly visiting worksites in the early morning hours. “He was always among the people and now Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum is continuing that legacy. It’s what makes Dubai what it is today.”