Ugandan Delivery Rider in UAE Wins Hearts Online for Reading the Quran Between Deliveries

A Ugandan delivery rider working in the United Arab Emirates has earned widespread admiration on social media after a video showing him peacefully reciting the Holy Quran during a break between deliveries went viral.

For Mansur Katabalwa, however, the moment was never intended to attract online attention. Instead, he says it reflects his daily effort to strengthen his faith and honour the memory of his late parents while working far from his family.

Mansur has been living in the UAE for the past two years and has worked as a delivery rider for the popular food delivery platform Talabat for the last five months.

He moved abroad with the hope of providing a better future for his wife and two children, who remain in Uganda.

The widely shared video shows Mansur parking his motorcycle between delivery orders, opening a copy of the Quran, and quietly reciting verses with deep concentration.

He said he had been following the same routine long before the video gained attention online.

The practice stems from a deeply personal tragedy. About three years ago, Mansur lost both of his parents and a brother within a short period, an experience that profoundly affected him and drew him closer to his faith.

Following their deaths, he memorized the entire Quran, committing it to memory as a source of comfort and spiritual strength.

Because his job requires him to spend most of the day riding his motorcycle, Mansur listens to Quran recitations on his mobile phone while travelling to help preserve his memorization. Whenever he has a break between deliveries, he opens the Quran he carries with him and resumes recitation.

"Reading the Quran during my work breaks helps me stay focused and makes me feel spiritually closer to Allah," Mansur said.

He added that his recitation is primarily dedicated to praying for the forgiveness and eternal peace of his late parents.

"I read and study the Quran with the intention of praying for the forgiveness of my late parents and asking Allah to grant them Jannatul Firdaus," he said.

Mansur's story has resonated with thousands of social media users, many praising his devotion, discipline and commitment to maintaining his faith while balancing the demands of life as a migrant worker.