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Dubai's first tailor dies: How a tiny Creekside shop built the 'sheikh of tailors'
He dressed generations of Dubai residents from a small shop by the Creek. After his death at 97, his grandson reflects on the man behind the needle
- PUBLISHED: Thu 9 Jul 2026, 12:40 PM UPDATED: Thu 9 Jul 2026, 1:04 PM
Sheikh Abdulrahman Al Shafei Al Madani, Dubai’s first tailor and a craftsman who stitched the emirate's story one kandura at a time over nearly eight decades, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 97, leaving behind a remarkable legacy that extended far beyond his profession.
Al Madani, who once said he started his business when there was nothing in Dubai, started from a small shop by the Creek in Deira. He began by sewing jellyfish-resistant diving suits for pearl divers, his name became inseparable from the traditional Emirati garment, and his quiet presence became part of the neighbourhood's memory itself.
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Tributes poured in after he died, with mourners describing him as the sheikh of tailors and one of Dubai's earliest pioneers. Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, remembered him as one of the enduring figures of old Deira, known for his calm demeanour, dignity, perseverance and kind presence.
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In an interview with Khaleej Times, Al Madani's grandson, Emirati filmmaker and writer Abdulrahman Al Madani, who carries his name, reflects on the lessons left behind by a grandfather who turned a humble craft into a legacy. "My childhood was spent in his home in Al Rashidiya, where we gathered every Thursday as a family," he said. "There was a lot of excitement upon his arrival in the night after work. On Fridays, we would go together to his farm in Falaj Al Mualla. He was generous, kind, and had a good sense of humour."
A shop by the Creek
Al Madani's journey began in Deira when he was still a teenager, at a time when tailoring was done entirely by hand and Dubai's population was barely 60,000. In 1947, he established National Tailors in Al Ras, where the Creek's old course lapped close to the shop's door. There was no air conditioning; he sometimes worked through the night by the light of a kerosene lamp, and for a period shared a tent in Al Sabkha with 13 members of his family.
Over the decades, thousands of kanduras passed through his hands. With modest savings, he bought land in the early 1960s, founded a construction company in the 1970s, and saw the family's tailoring business grow into a group spanning dozens of outlets across the UAE, including the country's first tailoring shop inside a mall in 1992. He insisted on educating his eight children, and his sons went on to lead the family's businesses.
Even in his nineties, Al Madani never left his craft. "Despite his age, he remained passionate and would go to the shop every day," his grandson recalled of a 2018 visit, when he filmed his grandfather at the old Al Ras shop. "He was social, and a lot of people stopped by the store to greet him and speak of fond memories with him. It was inspiring to hear how he started from nothing and built a name for himself."
For a grandson who grew up to become a filmmaker, the tailor's journey remains a source of inspiration. "Growing up with an inspirational figure like him definitely shaped me. He believed in his passion and pursued it from a young age," he said.
"His story alone deserves a film of its own. His story inspired me to carve my own path and choose a career that is uncertain yet ultimately rewarding."
Emirati Journalist