Shaikh Abdul Rahman Al Madani started off as a tailor 60 years ago, now in his shop Al Thawb Al Watani Tailoring at Arabian Centre.

Dubai: Couturier to royalty, Shaikh Abdul Rahman Al Madani has been making kandouras for Dubai's ruling family and the emirate's elite from the time of the late Shaikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, grandfather of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

And today, after decades of hard work and the lonely pursuit of perfection in his chosen vocation, for anyone who wants to look fashionable in a traditional kandoura, Al Madani is the definitive name to go to.

From humble beginnings, which can be traced back to the UAE's infancy itself, he has certainly cut a fine swathe in his profession, with the exalted title of "Royal Tailor" bestowed on him for his dedication to and development of his traditional craft. The Al Madani name may now stand for premium traditional menswear, but it hasn't been an entirely seamless journey for the maestro.

"It is a very tough job which ruins your body and eyesight. I used to work non-stop from dawn until dusk at a time when there was no electricity," Al Madani said. "On the eve of one particular Eid, to meet a huge order, I sewed all night using just kerosene lamps."

All those years of sacrifice have borne fruit. These days, Al Madani is the tailor by appointment to members of Dubai's ruling family. He has bespoke designs for them and while most of them prefer the Arabic kandoura, he has a Hamdani design for Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

Al Madani's journey started early in his life. It was when he turned 15 and finished "Katatib", the Quran school, that he chose tailoring as his craft by joining his uncle's shop in Dubai. The shop is still very much in existence today and is rented from Shaikh Saeed Al Maktoum's family. More than five decades ago the shop's rent was Rs5 a month, back when the UAE was still the Trucial States and the currency of India was in use here.