Journey into the UAE’s past with the impressive inventory of Sharjah collector

For the last 30 years, the Emirati has been collecting any antique or relic of yesteryear he can lay his hands on.

Jasim Al Ali holds the old picture of Sheikh Zayed he has as part of his expansive antiques collection at his home in Sharjah. Pawan Singh / The National
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SHARJAH // The saying “out with the old and in with the new” does not apply to Jasim Al Ali.

For the past 30 years, the Emirati has been collecting any antique or relic that he could.

His passion for the past has led him to acquire eclectic things such as photos of Sheikh Zayed, drinks bottles made before the UAE’s formation, vintage cameras, radios, gramophones, clocks, and sewing machines that Emirati women used to make traditional outfits.

“It started with stamps, then came coins,” said Mr Al Ali, a 45-year-old civil servant. “My passion for old items took me to flea markets, where I bought old typewriters, radios, cameras and old tube televisions that were used by our parents.”

He said he took seriously Sheikh Zayed’s exhortation that “a nation without a past is a nation without a present or a future”.

Despite the seemingly chaotic nature of his collecting – which includes jewellery, pottery, tools and baby milk bottles made of glass – a great deal of thought went into his hobby.

“When I display my collection at public events, I want the old generation to reminiscence about olden times and their way of living back then,” said Mr Al Ali, a father of four.

“And I want the young ­generation to learn the history of their fathers and grandfathers, while tourists will learn about the Emirati history and our way of living in the past.” At auctions in Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, he acquired everyday items that include glass bottles sold before the UAE’s creation. Some of the bottles were engraved with the words “Made in Trucial States”.

Mr Al Ali’s hunt for antiques is not confined to the UAE. He often visits neighbouring GCC countries.

“We share a common history with our brothers in the Gulf states and that led me to learn about their history and way of life, and acquire items that would add to my collection at home,” he said.

Over the years, Mr Al Ali has amassed about 400 pocket watches, some made of silver and others gold plated, as well as more than 100 clocks from as far back as the 1930s.

“Every piece I have has a history. I keep imagining how this item was bought, used and sold and ended finally in my collection,” he said.

“My hobby needs a deep knowledge in history, and a good eye to spot genuine items from the fake and to know how much they are worth and pay the appropriate price for them.”

Mr Al Ali stores his collection at home but he hopes to find a larger space to display the items that are kept in boxes.

“I have hundreds of pictures of Sheikh Zayed, pictures of the capital and the rest of the Emirates that I want to put in a gallery as part of my museum,” he said.

After spending most of his life immersed in his hobby, Mr Al Ali has no plans to stop adding to his collection any time soon.

tzriqat@thenational.ae