We Know little of the world beyond our sandy shores and clear blue waters. The world knew even less of us, the people of the Arabian Gulf. Who would have dreamed that things could change so dramatically?When I look back at our humble beginnings, I can hardly believe our business and our country have come so far, so fast. I was only 15 years old when i began working as a clerk. At that time, some of my countrymen still made a living from pearl diving. Life was simple; our needs were few.Nobody knew then what lay in store; the development of our vast oil resources, the birth of a nation, the building of our infrastructure, the swift growth of our economy. This bright future was yet to unfold when, in 1954, my brother Abdul Wahed and I established the Al-Ahliya Library, Dubai's first bookshop. It was also our first undertaking as entrepreneurs. Several years later, we started a general trading company that would eventually become Al Rostamani Group.Business increased steadily, with the growth of Dubai and other emirates, throughout the 1960s. With the founding of the federation in 1971, commercial opportunities exploded. Under the guidance of insightful leaders, the UAE was transformed seemingly overnight, into a powerful economic center of worldwide significance.As in the past, Al Rostamani Group will participate in furthering the development of Dubai and UAE. We also see promise beyond our national borders. One of our major objectives is to pursue opportunities both regionally and globally. We look forward to doing so with new, as well as exisitng partners. We have come a long way since the days when pearl diving was one of the mainstays of our economy. Now, in the new Millennium, the world is our oyster."
