ALSERKAL FAMILY
Alserkal Family is a leading UAE business group with a 165-year legacy spanning multiple large projects. The family has its origins in the Al-Ali tribe; the title “Alserkal” derives from the word “Sarkar”, an Indian term meaning “the government”. The rulers of the Trucial Coast and the Gulf used it in letters to representatives and agents of the British government, for whom members of the Alserkal family served as native agents for more than seventy years.
The family has prominent contributions across various industries; including but not limited to, pearl diving, real estate, hospitality, education, trading, and banking.
Yousef bin Abdullah Alserkal (1938)
Awarded the title of “Khan Saheb” in 1931 by the British, Yousef bin Abdullah Alserkal was one of the prominent pearl merchants in Dubai, an agent for the British Petroleum Company, and owner of the Orient hotel in Mumbai.
Yousef bin Abdullah Alserkal authored the first book known to be written on pearls on the Oman coast and founded Al Sa’ada school in 1927.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Hassan Alserkal (1888)
A scholar and traveler, Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Hassan Alserkal wrote numerous books across various fields including jurisprudence, hadith, Quranic sciences, language, literature, chemistry, astronomy, and others. Several of his works on hadith, maritime and astronomical sciences still exist.
Abdulrahman bin Eisa bin Abdullatif Alserkal (1958)
On top of being a contributor to the pearl diving industry at the time, Abdulrahman bin Eisa bin Abdullatif Alserkal was an accomplished poet.
Nasser bin Abdullatif Alserkal (1917-1990)
A prominent contributor to the trading industry, Nasser bin Abdullatif Alserkal established his trading company in 1947, beginning by selling car parts before expanding to cover water pumps, agricultural seeds, and drilling equipment to improve the agricultural sector.
Furthermore, his contributions reached far beyond the trading industry and into both the communications and banking sectors. In 1960, he established the Dubai Telephone Company LTD which later became known as Etisalat. He brought to the region its second bank, the Eastern Bank Limited. He was also a founding member of the National Bank of Dubai in 1963 and its vice president. He was one of the founders of Dubai Commercial Bank in 1969. In 1963, he established the Sharjah Electricity Company (now known as SEWA).
He had a prominent role in establishing business, import, and export regulations in the country as he served as the country's vice president for many years.
Having been active for more than 60 years, Alserkal Group played a prominent role in the overall development of many of UAE’s industries. Heritage Express is part of Alserkal Family and as all units, we take pride in our local history and emulate the very same importance the group has played many decades ago.
