Who Are The 2 Indians Who Received Top UAE Honour Before Pilot Smit Machchhar?

Indian Pilot Smit Machchhar has received the UAE's First Class Order of Zayed II for his bravery in protecting 174 passengers aboard a Flydubai flight during an alleged attack by his Omani co-pilot. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan conferred the honour on Captain Machchhar and other Flydubai crew members on October 27. Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented the awards in recognition of their actions during the September 30 incident.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan conferred the First Class Order of Zayed II on Captain Smit Machhar & the crew members involved in the incident. The honour recognises their efforts to protect passengers and secure the aircraft during the emergency. Thank you @UAE 🇮🇳 🇦🇪 stands together against terror !

— Major Madhan Kumar (Retd)🇮🇳 (@major_madhan) October 28, 2026

Machchhar was seriously injured when his co-pilot allegedly attacked him with a cockpit axe aboard a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight. The aircraft reportedly plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing others to overpower the co-pilot. The aircraft subsequently landed safely in western Saudi Arabia.

However, Machchhar is not the first Indian to receive the prestigious honour

Two former Indian ambassadors to the UAE, Navdeep Singh Suri and Sunjay Sudhir, were previously awarded the same decoration for their contributions to strengthening bilateral relations.

Suri, who served as India's ambassador to the UAE from December 2016 to September 2019, received the award in September 2019. The honour was conferred by then UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and presented by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who was then the country's foreign minister. Suri was recognised for his efforts to deepen cooperation between India and the UAE.

Sudhir, who served as India's ambassador from November 2021 to September 2025, received the award on September 17, 2025. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan conferred the honour, which was presented by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, now the country's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Sudhir was recognised for strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, including cooperation in economic and educational sectors.

The First Class Order of Zayed II is a high-level UAE civilian decoration awarded to foreign diplomats, senior officials and other distinguished individuals for their contributions. It is different from the Order of Zayed, the UAE's highest civilian honour, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi received in August 2019.

The award is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE's founding president, who ruled from 1971 until his death in 2004.