A story to tell from Dubai (My Dad)

Back to the future: Notes from a lifetime in the UAE

It's like a mother watching her baby grow, say expat who have lived through UAE's transformation

By Majorie van Leijen and Bindu Suresh Rai

Published Friday, December 02, 2011

Emirates 247

Suresh Laxmichand Shaholia

The smile that envelops his face is only matched by the twinkle in his eyes, as Suresh Laxmichand Shaholia recollects his childhood years that brought his family aboard a cruise liner to the banks of the Dubai Creek in the early 1960s.
 

“I was only a child when I first came here in 1961, climbing aboard an old ship that sailed nearly a week to bring us from Porbandar, Gujarat to Dubai,” he recalls. “We had paid Rs1,200 to buy us passage; my father had a mere Rs50 when he set foot in this country in the 1950s.”

Sitting on the banks of the same creek today, nearly 50 years after his journey, Shaholia pauses to absorb how life has changed in Dubai, from a sleepy trading port to a bustling city.

“Historically, our family has traded in jewellery and when we first extended our base to Dubai, it was to continue in our profession here,” he stated, adding how their jewellery was sent by special convoy to the late Sheikh Saeed’s palace every week.

With a trade licence that bears the number ‘7’, it is safe to say that Shaholia’s family business was one of the first few to break ground here and launch an enterprise that would one day play its part in the emirate’s rise.

“Back in those days, we didn’t have these concrete buildings that surround us today. What we had were ramshackle shops that were set up on the banks of Dubai Creek, close to the market now called Souk Al Kabeer,” he said.

“The market was occupied mainly by Indians and Iranians and a fine distinction was always maintained between the two groups. The former handled mostly clothes, jewellery and the like, while the latter dealt mostly in spices and such sort. We all helped each other when times were tough; it was a very close-knit community back then.”

Strolling through the same market five decades later, Shaholia is welcomed by traders that still reside there almost as a family member, with cheers and smiles that tie them together through times that few can imagine today.

“Life back then was as a simple as it gets. We would eagerly wait for the boat to arrive every week, hopefully bringing with it vegetables to allow us to have a meal without canned beans,” he revealed.

“The formation of the UAE was still a decade away, and we didn’t even have basic necessities such as fresh water and electricity. If we were lucky, donkey caravans would bring drinking water from the mountains every week and we would stock up for a week; electricity was still a dream that was fulfilled in the late 1960s,” he said.

Shaholia laughed when asked if he had ever thought Dubai would become a bustling city that it is today.

“Who could have imagined that the UAE, especially Dubai, would create a concrete jungle that would one day literally reach for the skies?” he asked. “Dubai’s growth is the perfect example of success beyond imagination.”

Intro & new to blog

Hi friends welcome to my blog site – www.mydubaiguide.blogspot.com

Firstly I take this opportunity to thanks all my family members, friends, colleagues & especially all my tourists from around the globe that I’ve have met in the past 11years of my service in United Arab Emirates. With your support & guidance, I start my blog site & look forward to your support. Spread the word….

It’s Me …Who? …. KuMaR

I have lived, laughed, loved and enjoyed in Dubai for over 30 years. It feels home when I get to the creek side, walking along the wind tower houses in Bastakiya. My family roots are from India & I am born in Dubai. A Tour Escort…well it all started when a tourist walked into our family shop & asked the way to the Dubai Museum.  I shot my hand up, it’s just opposite my house then I proudly led them when I was just 8yrs old. Not knowing I was going to be rewarded a 5$ tip, which was a lot for my pocket money then. Doing my education in the first private school in Dubai I realized I could easily be the favorite of my teacher but that’s not going to fetch me any extra marks in my finals. Somehow I managed to get through the school.  I completed my graduation in Commerce & Marketing. Opportunities in tourism were on a rise in Dubai, so I persuaded my Diploma & Degree with International Air Transport Association. Also I successfully completed Introduction to Civil Aviation with Emirates Airlines.

Giving a start to my career in 2001 with a leading Inbound Tour Company. Today I have mastered my specialty in handling large incentive groups, hosting events, escorting VIP’s, Media & travel agent trips, tour guiding in various emirates, holding training sessions for our new staff our company recruits. The longer I live in Dubai, the more I appreciate how fortunate I am to be on intimate terms with a country which is so unique. It is my privilege to share my knowledge with visitors and help them understand the vision & challenges of this great city. Some of my tourist say I am lucky to be living in Dubai as it’s like living in paradise! Well my grandparents stepped in this desert in 1948 then a small fishing village & a trading port. They challenged the sea sailing from India almost for 18 days on the wooden boat known as dhow paying 50 Indian rupees for trip to The Trucial States of Oman. Later in 1971 a federation was formed and then became United Arab Emirates. The paradise in the Middle East.

The contrasts are so intense. It’s were the old meets the modern, where culture & luxury go hand in hand, where diverse nationalities meet to form an authentic cultural melting pot & Where cuisine varies from local delicacies to global gourmet. It’s truly a city of endless possibilities. As truly we say “Where the vision is larger than life”.

I can show you the old fort in the city built for Defense along the creek. I can tell you about traditions, Customs & Costumes what people wear & where they are from. I can tell you the history of the places we see and explain how the desert changed to a City of Dreams. I can introduce you to Dubai coastline, mountains or desert. I am a licensed guide & have the most updated information. I truly believe I get paid for being disturbed so as a tourist please feel free to contact me & it will be my pleasure to serve you with my best knowledge & experience.

Welcome to my blog site.