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Bahraini friends Sayed Ahmed Khalifa and Ali Hussain Ali have together crafted a business to fulfil a long-time passion for artisanal work that highlights the kingdom’s heritage.
Sayed, a prominent businessman in the fields of carpentry, cargo and logistics, scrap trading, steel fabrication and forklifts hire, always dreamt of promoting the kingdom through art and craft and the dream came to fruition with the help of his sculptor Ali.
“I have been thinking of creating something that is related to Bahrain for a long time and since I have so much space in the workshop and all the necessary equipment to carry out the work, it was just a matter of finding the right person to fulfil it and Ali was the ideal sculptor,” said Sayed, 84, from Riffa.
“One of the main touristic attractions for Bahrain are dhows and with traditional handicrafts being important elements of our heritage, creating miniature dhows for people to have as keepsakes from the kingdom made sense. It celebrates our handicrafts and pays homage to our boats which were instrumental to pearl diving, fishing and trade.”
According to the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca), ‘cultural institutions are moving towards sustaining handicrafts, protecting them from extinction and preserving these crafts as core elements of national heritage’. Hence, in 2021, Baca launched the ‘Made in Bahrain’ initiative as a way to revisit the visual and functional identity of Bahraini handmade products as a cultural expression that has stood the test of time and is reflective of national identity.
This came as delightful news for Sayed, who founded the Sara Group in Ma’ameer in 1981, the venue where Ali is currently creating the dhows. Ali picked up the chisel and started developing the dhows by hand using merante, swede, redwood and teak wood, this year.
He has created 60cm dhows, 100cm bhooms and 120cm bhanoosh (which are the traditional names for the boats). He even has a boat which is 160cm long.
“I started carpentry work in 1981 when I worked in Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) and during my free time I would make these miniature boats at home as a hobby,” said the 61-year-old from Isa Town.
“This has now turned into my part-time business where I get to do something I love while sharing the beauty of our local craft and our creative industry as well as showcase Bahrain’s dhows.”
The friends are also contemplating starting a programme to teach youngsters about dhow-making in the future hoping to pass on the tradition to the next generation.
