Dubai: Political upheaval in the Middle East has forced some textile merchants in Bur Dubai to source materials, as well as clients, from elsewhere.
“We are very much affected by what is happening in Egypt. We had so many clients from there and they used to buy cloth materials in wholesale instead of retail,” said Ajay Himnandani, who has been in the business for 25 years.
His shop is one of hundreds of textile shops that line the serpentine alleys located alongside the Dubai Creek in Bur Dubai and dot the vibrant streets of Al Fahidi.
Dominated by the Sindi community from India and Pakistan, the area is a must-visit tourist attraction due to its colourful displays of cloth from India, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, Korea and China.
“This market has been here for over three decades. Our clients were mostly Indians in the ‘60s and the early ‘80s but now we have clients from Middle East, China and Africa. Some Chinese opened their shops over here but they had to wind up their businesses because of the dominance of the Sindi community, which had in this business from the ‘40s,” said Sanjay Israni, who works as a textile salesman in his uncle’s shop.
According to Israni, during the partition of India in 1947, Sindhi businessman were in search of a place where they could carry out their business.
“They found the UAE best suited to continue with their business,” Israni said. “The majority of them came here and settled here. If you look around, most of the shops here go back 20 to 30 years. The Sindhi community has been integral to the growth of the UAE.”
Bharat Solanki, 56, who has been in the business for the last 30 years, said products and clients are changing.
“With what is happening in countries like Syria, Jordan and Egypt, we are really affected. We used to get our raw materials from over there because our other clients from the Middle East and locally were fond of the textiles that came from there. But now we have no other choice but to get textiles from Korea, India and China. Even the profit margin has come down by 15 per cent,” he said.
“We are Sindhis and doing business is in our blood. Clients or no clients, we know how to make a good business,” said Mohan Keshwani, who joined his father’s business two years ago.
“I disagree about the fall in profit margin. According to me, business is doing good. The glamour that is brought by this particular market to this side of the Dubai Creek is unparalleled. Tourists love this market, but we don’t get many of them coming inside our shops and actually buying anything,” he said.
“You see, we know how to serve our clients and the market will never vanish or lose its lustre for a long time to come,” he said.
