Meet the 78-year-old retired Dubai expat delivering Eid Qurbani meat to thousands of needy families

While Muslims across the UAE prepare for Eid Al Adha by selecting their Qurbani animals and planning family celebrations, 78-year-old Indian expatriate Hussain Ahmedali Nalwala is pursuing a larger mission. Driven by compassion, he ensures that thousands in remote, impoverished regions from Africa can also partake in the joy of Eid. Through his foundation, Nalwala arranges the sacrifice and distribution of meat to families who often go without proper meals. His efforts transform a personal religious act into a widespread humanitarian mission, allowing even the most forgotten communities to celebrate Eid with dignity, nourishment, and a sense of inclusion.



Retired businessman Hussain Nalwala goes from running a company to helping the poor

Hussain Ahmedali Nalwala, a retired industrialist who is 78 years old, takes this message to heart in a practical and profound manner. He has transformed this yearly religious ceremony into a large-scale humanitarian mission that now extends across several nations. Nalwala entered the field of charity five years ago when he went to Yemen. He saw there gnawing poverty, starvation, and general suffering. What he witnessed had a profound impact on him and altered the trajectory of his retirement.

"That experience opened my eyes," he informed. "Seeing individuals with nothing, not even one proper meal in days made me understand I could not just retire and rest. I needed to do something." What started out as a personal epiphany soon turned into an official mission through the establishment of a charitable trust.


Hussain Nalwala turns decades of leadership into acts of service


Hussain Nalwala is no stranger to leadership. As a former president of Anchor Allied Factory in Sharjah, he spent decades establishing companies and generating employment. Now, he has channelled those organisational abilities into humanitarian causes.

He established The Nalwala Foundation , which has now become the operational headquarters for all his philanthropic activities. The India-registered foundation oversees a sophisticated logistics network, partnerships, and local associations to arrange timely and respectful distribution of sacrificial meat during Eid. From the time the foundation was started, Nalwala has been dedicated to providing Qurbani meat to rural and disadvantaged communities in Africa, including Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, and Ethiopia nations where hunger continues to be a serious problem. His team annually organizes the buying, slaughtering, and distribution of several dozen camels, which are selected for their capacity to yield large amounts of meat.

"I personally vet the animals through photographs before buying," Nalwala explained. "We deal only with healthy animals according to religious and ethical principles. It's a matter of giving with dignity." After the animals are slaughtered, the meat is systematically portioned out and distributed. In some villages, villagers patiently line up in long queues with containers. In others, volunteers knock from door to door handing out portions to families that can't make the journey themselves.

One camel can feed 300 families," Nalwala explained. "This is the only time of the year they eat meat for many of them."



Hussain Nalwala brings festive relief to communities in India and the UAE


Although Africa continues to be the primary focus, Nalwala has also reached out to his native country. Over the past three years, he organized distribution of Qurbani meat to areas including Sumbal, Bandipore, and other underserved regions. These regions, often affected by political instability and harsh winters, house communities that struggle with access to nutritious food. By providing meat during Eid, Nalwala offers both sustenance and a symbolic reminder of inclusion.

He also provides mass-scale distribution in Mumbai, where his team offers animal sacrifices and feeds more than 1,500 people during the festival. "Each meal we give out is a reminder that someone somewhere cares. That they are not forgotten," he said. While Eid Al Adha is a focus, Nalwala's generosity goes far beyond. At Diwali, he organizes the giving of sweets and gifts to migrant workers in Dubai and Sharjah workers whose toil goes largely unnoticed during festival time. "It's about recognizing them. Their efforts go unobserved," Nalwala said. "Festivals should be celebrated with everyone."



Hussain Nalwala turns charity into a lifelong commitment

Among Nalwala's lasting legacies is the senior citizens' home he created in Boisar, Mumbai via his foundation. This home offers shelter, medical care, and emotional comfort to elderly people-many of whom were abandoned or live in poverty.

What distinguishes this home is its mode of interaction. Residents are not merely nurtured—rather, they are involved in day-to-day functions, act as role models to workers, and join community activities. "This is not a shelter, it's a place of dignity and belonging," Nalwala said. Giving for Nalwala is not a random occasion or a show-off in public—it is a deeply personal, ongoing practice. He feels that with wealth, privilege, and comfort comes the duty to raise others up.

"We live in comfort, with food on our table at all times. But Eid isn't just about our own celebrations—it's about ensuring that others are able to celebrate too," he mused. "I don't think that charity is a one-off act. It must be integrated into the way we live."




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