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It was one of those starry nights where my mother would take delight in spinning fantastical, riveting tales. This time, she regaled us with the story of our ancestor, the prominent Saudi businessman Mohammed Ali Zainal, who was known as the “King of Pearls” and was an influential philanthropist. I was immediately captivated.
Zainal was born in Jeddah in 1884 into an eminent merchant family. Ever since he was young, he was known to be a virtuous, kind, modest, and benevolent spirit. It is said he would carry a bag filled with silver coins and would distribute them to children on the streets to encourage them to go to school. Zainal was charismatic in addition to being well-read and well-traveled. He was also multilingual, speaking Arabic, English, French, Farsi, and Urdu.
It was very important for Zainal’s father to groom his son into taking over and expanding the family business. That is why he was dispatched to India to learn the ropes of the trade. However, the young, visionary Zainal did not seem to find his calling there. In 1901, at the age of 17, he traveled to Cairo to pursue an education at Al-Azhar University in order to fulfill his dream of becoming an educator. His father met with him there, admonishing him to come back home. He promised enough funding for him to establish his own school, thereby educating hundreds of people. Zainal accepted his father’s offer and returned to Jeddah.
Zainal established the first modern school, tuition-free, in Jeddah in 1905 and he named it Al-Falah (success). Over the next few years, he opened schools in Makkah, Bahrain, the UAE, India, and Yemen. This first generation of graduates went on to become some of the most notable luminaries, intellectuals, poets, business people, diplomats, and civil servants in the region.
Meanwhile, Zainal worked on expanding his pearl and jewelry business between India and the Gulf countries, which soon flourished. Part of the motivation for entering the world of business was to secure enough income to finance his philanthropic activities. Indeed, he continued to support various charitable causes, schools and orphanages.
As Zainal’s business expanded, he decided to open offices in London and Paris. In 1920, he traveled to Paris for the first time to establish his office on Rue La Fayette, which was where the top jewelry merchants were based at the time. He also became the first man from the Arabian Peninsula to purchase a property on the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, considered one of the most beautiful streets in the world. Zainal met a British lady, Ruby Elsie Jackson, during his time in London and he soon married her. They were blessed with three daughters: Amna was born in Paris in 1939, Hafsa in India in 1942, and Mariam in India in 1944.
His business expanded further, ultimately earning him the title of “King of Pearls” and establishing him as one of the wealthiest businessmen in the Arabian Peninsula. He was also well connected with royal circles and politicians in the region, such as King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, King Farouk of Egypt, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah of Kuwait, and Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum Al-Maktoum of Dubai.
However, the production of Japanese cultured pearls from 1921 led the natural pearl industry to collapse during the 1930s. Although Zainal lost 90 percent of his wealth, he continued to finance his schools and other philanthropic endeavors. In 1969, he passed away at the age of 85 in Mumbai, a city he had adored all his life. His legacy and remarkable achievements are etched in the realms of business, education and philanthropy.
I longed to find out more about my ancestor, but struggled to find any detailed biography on him. Biographies are vital and compelling social histories that can illuminate and enrich our understanding of important epochs in history. As such, it is more important than ever to document our region’s history through such personal accounts covering different segments of society, all of whom had an influential role to play in their countries’ developments.
Biographies are vital and compelling social histories that can illuminate and enrich our understanding of important epochs in history.
Sara Al-Mulla
It is also important to have such works translated for an international audience in order to shed light on our region’s history. Biographies boast treasures of wisdom and an abundance of inspiration. Reading them can offer valuable life lessons, such as the importance of vision, perseverance and hard work. Indeed, it cannot be debated that a life of meaning and care for humanity is something we should all strive for.
Many countries take a keen interest in documenting their social histories through biographies. For example, the “Australian Dictionary of Biography” is Australia’s leading resource on national biographies, where people can find out more about the lives of significant individuals in the country’s history. The collection has more than 13,000 entries covering people from all walks of life, including prime ministers, governors-general and premiers, artists, authors, engineers, and schoolteachers. Elsewhere, the “Dictionary of Canadian Biography” has amassed more than 9,000 biographies of people who shaped that country’s history from the years 1000 to 1930.
By documenting these extraordinary lives, we can cast light on the fascinating collective experiences that have shaped our region’s history.
- Sara Al-Mulla is an Emirati civil servant with an interest in human development policy and children’s literature. She can be contacted at www.amorelicious.com.