A rich life cobbled together with friendship and hard work

Dubai: Black and brown do not feature in a rainbow. But, for Gulam Haider, these colours lead to his proverbial pot of gold. Haider is probably one of the oldest cobblers in the UAE.

Black and brown are the colours of the shoe polish that add the "final touch" to his work mending shoes.

Being a cobbler for the past 40 years, Haider is as much a part of Bur Dubai's history as many of the landmarks in the area. So much so that very few know his real name and instead address him as either "Baba" or "Haji Sahib".

This made it easy to find him, despite his shop being located deep within the labyrinthine alleys of Bur Dubai souq.

Meeting place

I had heard that Haider was a bit of a traditionalist. When I finally arrived at the 2-by-1-metre aluminium box that he calls a workplace, I was surprised by the flurry of people lining up in front of his stall, some with shoes to repair, others just out for a chat.

Some asked after his well being: "How is your health today Haji Sahib? You shouldn't have opened shop in such bad weather."

While others poured out their woes - "I am not getting leave to go home" or "All the salary has been used up, I have no savings again".

I stood at a distance watching as a fresh coat of polish was applied on a customer's shoe as he talked about the windy weather. For once, I wished I had footwear to be repaired.

The walls of the shop were covered with newspaper cuttings and photographs, brown with age. Each picture spoke of a time, some as old as 30 years.

Over 100 plastic bottles lined the wall; filled with bronze, copper and silver tacks, shoestrings, and other requisites for perfect mending. They could be mistaken for trophies. Shoes were strewn all over the floor. Surprisingly, they made a pretty sight.

I didn't realise when he looked up and saw me scanning the stall, but the first thing I noticed was the number 88 on his cap, followed by a smile that had three teeth missing. He asked: "Do you have shoes to repair?" I said that I was there to interview him. The excitement in his eyes was hard to miss.

Haider spoke slowly, with carefully measured words, weaving the crowd through the story of his life. He talked of days that were and the UAE that is. He said: "I love this country and its people. May Allah always bless this country. I have been here for ages, I know the pulse of the UAE."

A Pakistani, Haider first came to the UAE in 1967 and set up shop a year later. Being a cobbler was happenstance, an art he learned with time.

Since then it has been the same story. He starts work at 7am and closes at 10pm, a routine that includes prayers and meals. His favourite food is a simple combination of fried bread with lentil curry.

His dream is quite limited - to be able to bring his family to the UAE.

He earns about Dh60 a day. However, fading vision and feeble hands have slowed his pace.

Haider added: "There are times when I tell people that I can't repair their shoes, especially if the stitching is quite detailed. I don't want to cheat anybody."

Do you know any other person with a story like this? How long has the person been in the UAE?

I know one person staying near to our villa in Al Rahba, his name is Amir but we call him Baba. He is very famous here, he has been in the UAE for more than 35 years.
Usman
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 23, 2008, 09:19

You might be interested in Mr. Hassan who is from Kerala. On his way to the UAE over 30 years ago, the dhow he was in was crushed by strong waves and broke into pieces. He is one of the few survivors who got stuck to a piece of wood until he was rescued by RAK coastguards. He survived by eating from trash cans in streets up until the late Shaikh Rashid issued him a work permit. He's now one of Dubai Municipality's senior staff at Labour Division.
Karkain
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 23, 2008, 08:24

My dad came here in 1971. He is a dentist and an international cricket umpire who has represented the UAE in the Cricket World Cup 1996 as an umpire. His patients include big personalities in the UAE.
Asim
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 23, 2008, 07:40