Sheikh Abdulrahman Al Shafei Al Madani, widely regarded as Dubai’s first tailor, has died at the age of 97 after spending nearly eight decades dressing generations of Emiratis and helping preserve one of the country’s most recognizable traditions.
Al Madani began his journey in the late 1940s from a modest tailoring shop near Dubai Creek in Deira, long before the city became a global business hub. His craftsmanship, dedication and personal warmth earned him the title “sheikh of tailors” and made his name synonymous with the traditional Emirati kandura.
Before becoming famous for tailoring kanduras, Al Madani stitched jellyfish resistant diving suits for pearl divers at a time when pearl fishing formed the backbone of Dubai’s economy. He often recalled building his business when “there was nothing in Dubai,” a reminder of the city’s humble beginnings.
Tributes poured in after news of his death. UAE Presidential Diplomatic Adviser Dr. Anwar Gargash described him as one of old Deira’s enduring figures, remembering his calm nature, dignity, perseverance and kindness.
A family business built through hard work
Al Madani established National Tailors in Al Ras in 1947 when Dubai’s population stood at around 60,000. He worked by the light of a kerosene lamp because his shop had no electricity or air conditioning. For a period, he also shared a tent in Al Sabkha with 13 members of his family while working to build his business.
Thousands of kanduras passed through his hands over the decades. His growing success allowed him to buy land in the early 1960s before launching a construction company in the 1970s. The family business later expanded into dozens of tailoring outlets across the UAE. It also opened the country’s first tailoring shop inside a shopping mall in 1992, marking another milestone in Dubai’s retail history.
Although he became a successful businessman, Al Madani never lost his passion for tailoring. He continued visiting his original Al Ras shop every day well into his nineties.
“Despite his age, he remained passionate and would go to the shop every day,” his grandson Abdulrahman Al Madani recalled.
“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.”
Grandson says his life deserves its own film
Emirati filmmaker and writer Abdulrahman Al Madani said his grandfather’s life shaped his own ambitions from an early age.
“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.”
The filmmaker believes his grandfather’s remarkable journey deserves to reach a much wider audience.
“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.”
Al Madani leaves behind more than a successful business. He leaves a story that mirrors Dubai’s own transformation from a small trading town into a modern global city, one carefully stitched garment at a time.
