History...
The History of Bukamal reads like
a modern history of the Kingdom of Bahrain, where it
is based.
As the country developed from its dependency on the
age-old fishing and pearl-diving industries to its present
position as a modern, rapidly developing country, so
too have the companies operating in it.
The Bukamals have firm roots planted in the Gulf as
one of its pioneering merchant families, with a rich
history stretching back generations.
The seeds of its modern business were planted in the
early 20th century, when the late Ebrahim Yousif Bukamal
became a leading supplier of comprehensive ship-building
materials to dhow-builders. Bahrain being an archipelago
naturally made dhow-building one of the country's most
lucrative crafts, which Mr. Bukamal exploited in full
through an outlet on the Muharraq coast.
The company flourished for decades as the country's
then-budding oil and natural gas industry brought more
wealth to the country. But technological advances brought
a steady decline to the dhow-building industry as stronger
steel vessels came to dominate Gulf waters.
After Mr. Bukamal's sad demise in 1975, the company
was forced to rethink its strategy and re-emerged two
years later as a hand-tool and hardware retailer in
Muharraq, led by Mr. Bukamal's son Hasan and then by
grandson Khalid. In 1981 Khalid’s younger brother
Jehad came onboard to take the company in a new direction,
relocating the company to Bahrain's capital Manama.
In 1990 the family business was turned into a limited
liability company, giving Jehad, the leeway needed to
realize Bukamal's full potential.
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