A handbag left in a Dubai taxi and returned intact by an honest driver did more than find its way back to its owner: it prompted an Indian businessman to liquidate his assets in South Africa and move to Dubai.

The turning point was the driver's honesty when the businessman's wife recovered her bag, everything inside was still there.

Recounting the incident on an ArabCast podcast, retired Brigadier General and legal consultant Arif Bushaqar Al Falasi said the experience left the woman determined to stay in Dubai and convinced her husband to relocate within six months.

According to Al Falasi, the family had come to Dubai on a visit from South Africa. The businessman's wife took a taxi to a mall with her daughter, but left her handbag in the vehicle when they got out.

By the time they realised what had happened, the taxi was no longer there. They returned to the hotel from which they had taken the cab. There, they found the same driver, who told them they had left their bag behind.

Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) policy requires taxis stationed at hotels to return to their starting point after dropping off passengers, using it as a waiting stand.

(Source: Khaleej Times)