‘I rejected the biggest salary offer of my life and came back to Dubai’: Why this Bosnian cyclist feels the UAE is his true home

Dubai: For Almir Mujic, the UAE’s rugged landscape is more than just a place to ride. It’s a personal responsibility. The Bosnian expat’s deep-seated civic pride recently caught the attention of the Dubai Civility Committee, which recognised his quiet, persistent work in preserving the emirate’s natural heritage.

He is often seen clearing trash from the trails or using his social media to look out for local wildlife, a one-man effort that has turned him into a symbol of community stewardship.

His most viral moment came after he posted a video of an injured gazelle he found while out on a ride; the post sparked a rapid-response rescue from the Dubai Municipality, and the animal was being treated within hours.

“I didn’t even know this was something the municipality would help with. And to be honest, I didn’t even have the chance to call the municipality, they called me,” he says.

Once he shared the location details with the municipality, he received an update in hours – the deer had been found and was being treated.

The gesture reached the highest levels of leadership. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, personally thanked Mujic for stepping in.

For a man who walked away from a lucrative career in Europe, the recognition confirms what he already felt: home isn't just a coordinate. It’s the place you feel compelled to protect. After 18 years, Mujic has realised that in Dubai, real luxury is the efficiency of a repaired pothole, the safety of a neighbourhood, and the magical silence of a desert trail at dawn.

On most days, you will find Almir Mujic where he feels most alive – surrounded by bikes, trees and winding trails.

Whether it is at the Al Qudra cycling track, which he calls the most beautiful in the world, or Mushrif Park, where he works as a sales manager , cycling in Dubai has given him a chance to turn something he loves to do into a full-time job.

But for the Bosnian expat who arrived in the UAE in 2008, life did not begin with mountain trails and morning rides. It began with a search for opportunity.

He moved to Dubai at a time when, he says, prosperity was limited back home.

“I was seeking opportunity,” he said.

His first job in Dubai was working as a security officer in Dubai Media City. Over time, he progressed to facility manager, overseeing building operations. Later, he moved into the solar energy sector, coached chess to supplement his income, and eventually returned to an old passion: cycling. By 2015, he decided to commit to it, seriously.

“I realised I had to get back to cycling,” he said.

Now, he wants to do it until his last working days.

Ask him what makes Dubai special, and he says Mushrif Park – family cycling tracks, children’s skill zones, public facilities and green spaces open to everyone.

At the park, he points out beginner trails for children, technical routes for experienced riders and wildlife that often appears unexpectedly.

“When you ride here, because you are quiet on a bike, suddenly there’s a gazelle in front of you,” he said. “There are foxes here. Squirrels. This place is magical.”

And that, for him, is the greatest luxury the city offers.

“What I like about Dubai and the UAE, in general is that there are so many premium experiences that do not cost a single dirham. The public facilities here are top-notch. They spoil you for life. And because there are so many of them, they are not overly congested. On weekends, especially at this time of year, you see hundreds of children here in Mushrif Park. That makes me happy. Dubai provides these facilities for the benefit of citizens and residents, but also for the benefit of society. If they are here and we are not using them, that is not good,” he said.

Last year, in fact, he received a job offer from Switzerland, at one of Europe’s best-known cycling destinations. It was the biggest salary he has been offered, complete with an apartment and management role.

He said no.

“I worked there for three months, just to try it out, and then I rejected the job offer and came back to Dubai. I realised I want to have the life of a ‘family guy’ in the UAE. What I have here, I cannot find anywhere else,” he said.

Living with his wife and 10-year-old son, he says Dubai offers him the perfect place to raise a family.

“What every father wants for his son, what every husband wants for his wife, is safety, security, a lifestyle. This is the most modern place you can imagine, but you still have values,” he said.

This affection for Dubai comes with a strong sense of civic pride, too. As a cyclist, he has often posted videos online urging fellow cyclists not to litter at the world-class facilities the city offers.

“It’s not an obligation. It’s not a burden. It’s a privilege. There’s already a good thing going on. Just be a part of it,” he said.

Another reason for Mujic's passion for giving back to the community is the response he's received - whether from fellow residents or government authorities.

While cycling from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, he met a police officer, using a drone to assess the track and check for any repairs that may be required. While talking to him, Mujic mentioned two small bumps on a road, that had led to a friend getting injured. As he rode back from Abu Dhabi later that day, he saw a worker at the exact location.

“I asked him, ‘Excuse me, are you here to inspect this? I reported it to police this morning.’ He replied, ‘No, I’m not here to inspect it. I’m here to repair it.’ I was shocked,” he said.

“In many places around the world, you report something and then emails bounce around for months. Here, within four hours of reporting it, the decision had already been made. Within 12 hours, it was going to be fixed. You must experience things like that in Dubai to believe they are possible. This is normal in Dubai. It is the standard,” he said.

He still loves Bosnia and misses his parents. But when he leaves Dubai, he says it is the city he misses most.

“A friend once told me, ‘The UAE is not your home because your grandfather didn’t live there.’ I told him: ‘The UAE is my home because my grandchild is going to live there.’ That is how I feel. Once you experience a certain standard of life, efficiency and safety, it becomes normal to you. And there is no going back.”