Kingdom Mourns Death of Builder of Modern Bahrain

The business community of Bahrain expressed its sadness on the demise of Hussain bin Ali Yateem, who played a major role in promoting Bahrain’s business world in the early decades of 20th century. His funeral was held at Manama Cemetery yesterday.

Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) Chairman Khalid Almoayed said that he would deeply miss Hussain Yateem in the coming days. He added that Hussain Yateem had been well respected by the business community of Bahrain. “He was involved in many business ventures in the early years of modern Bahrain,” said Almoayed.

Commenting on Hussain Yateem’s contributions to Bahrain’s economy, Chairman of Al Zayani Investments, Khalid Al Zayani, said he was one of the earliest businessmen to have worked in Bahrain.

Al Zayani recalled that his father Rashid Al Zayani and Hussain Yateem had been colleagues in several occasions.

He added that Hussain Yateem, who had been the president of BCCI, was highly active during the tenure of HH Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who ruled the Kingdom between 1942 and 1961.

Hussain Yateem, born in 1914, is the father of Ali Hussain Yateem, Mohamed Hussain Yateem, late Laila, Mary, Salwa and Sheherazede.Success saga of centenarian

The centenarian was recently bestowed with the Bahrain Award for Entrepreneurship, for his contribution to the growth of Bahrain’s business.

He was actively involved in his business, until recently. 

The Yateem Group started as a trading business involving six persons. Today, it has grown into a diversified business, thanks to his dynamic leadership and vision. Now the Group is successfully involved in sectors such as air-conditioning, power generation, chemicals, shopping centres, real estate and petroleum supplies. 

Hussain Yateem hails from a lineage of traders, who were descendants of the Bani Tamim tribe from the Nedji family, formerly from Saudi Arabia. Business was in his blood as his grandfather, Ahmed Yateem was a leading businessman, who handled wood and building materials from India. 

Since Ahmed was well respected among the Kingdom’s business community, he was appointed as member of the Bahrain Disputes Resolution Court by the then ruler of Bahrain, HH Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa. 

Moreover, Hussain Yateem’s father Ali Yateem, born in 1890, was the first pharmacist of Bahrain. He developed keen interest in healing and medicine, since he was sent to American Mission School, where he learnt science and English.

Later, Ali Yateem went to India to study pharmacology. The reason behind this decision was to contribute his best to fight diseases and epidemics, which were prevalent in Bahrain on those days. 

Ali Yateem returned to Bahrain in 1910 and established A M Yateem Brothers. They opened a drugstore, which also sold spectacles and watches. Later he introduced optical glasses in Bahrain. 

Yateem Opticians later became one of the well-known names in the opticals industry. Ali Yateem entered various ventures as he was always ambitious to scale new heights. He earned the franchise of General Motors in Bahrain in 1923. He then started construction business next year. 

His company had the privilege to build a palace for Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in Gudaibiya. He was also instrumental in introducing novelty items such as Italian cars, gramophones, cameras, microscopes and pumps. In the meantime, he had the opportunity to serve as the member of Manama municipality from 1923 until his death.

Since Ali Yateem valued education a lot, he sent his son Hussain Yateem to England when he was just 12-year-old. Hussain Yateem attended the Brighton Grammar School for the next four years. However, he had to cut short his student life as his father died when he was just 16-year-old. At the same time, his uncle Mohammed decided to relocate to Kuwait. 

Young Hussain Yateem had no other options, but to take up the responsibility of business. He took up the challenge and decided to walk on the footsteps of his father in this island, which was dependent on dhows for trades during those days.

Since Hussain Yateem had good command over English, he was soon appointed as the translator for the ruler of Bahrain. Later, he married Aisha Yusuf Khonjie, who had been educated at Cambridge in the 1920s. 

The Kingdom started producing oil in 1930 and Hussain Yateem opened the first petrol pump in 1938 near Bab Al Bahrain. 

 A visionary

Hussain Yateem was aware of advancements achieved by the Western world as he travelled abroad extensively. He had an opportunity to meet Dr. Willis H Carrier, inventor of Carrier air-conditioning, during a World Fair in New York in 1939, when he visited there with Shaikh Mohamed bin Isa Al Khalifa. 

This visit introduced him to air conditioners in the Kingdom as he realised its advantage on a hot and humid place like Bahrain.  Later, he installed an ice plant with Carrier-Brunswick compressors. 

During 1944-45, his company imported over 200 consoles from Carrier company. And in 1949, Yateem Brothers officially became the distributor of Carrier. 

Hussain Yateem also played a major role in the formation of Gulf Air. Moreover, he had been serving on the board of Gulf Air for 25 years.

In 1951, he was invited to accompany the then ruler HH Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of England. He received MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) from the Queen, on the occasion.

Hussain Yateem built the first residential estate of the Kingdom, Yateem Garden, which accommodates spacious villas surrounded by lush gardens and palm trees. 

Yateem Centre, built in 1981, became another major trendsetter in Bahrain as it turned out as a hub of business activities. 

In 1930, he opened the first cinema hall in Bahrain, along with two other partners.

When Yateem petrol pump was closed in 1980s for the development of the area, he built a mosque on the site. 

Since then, he fed people at the Yateem Mosque during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

 Philanthropy

Hussain Yateem served at the Manama Municipal Council for over 25 years, amid his busy business life. He is also one of the founders of BCCI and one of its past
presidents. 

He also co-founded Bahrain Red Crescent Society. 

Hussain Yateem played a major role in supporting the BD12.5 million Shaikh Isa Library and Conference Hall project.

His simple and down to earth nature always inspired young professionals, aiming to mark their presence in the world of business. 

“Be honest, work hard and you cannot fail to be successful,” was the message he left to others, before bidding adieu to this world.