Dubai: Meet Indian Expat Who Arrived 52 Years Ago When Gold Cost Only Dh6 A Gram

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

When Amratlal Tribhovan Das first set foot in Dubai, gold cost only Dh6 a gram. He remembers the date with absolute clarity: December 13, 1973. He arrived in the evening on an Air India flight from Mumbai, walking into what was then a quiet, modest airport with only a few passengers around. All he carried was a small bag of clothes and a traditional bundle of chikoo fruit.

Born in 1941 in Una village in Gujarat's Junagadh district, Amratlal moved to Mumbai in 1958 as a teenager, where he spent five years working and training as a goldsmith. As talk of opportunities in the Gulf grew, he considered moving - especially since some of his wife's relatives were already in the UAE and encouraged him to make the leap.

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Even his journey to Dubai began unexpectedly.“I was supposed to come by ship,” he recalled.“But the ship met with an accident and was being repaired in Mumbai. My visa was expiring, so I had no choice but to take a plane.” The airfare, Rs1,100, was a hefty sum in those days. But when he boarded the flight, he was unaware that this unexpected detour would open the door to the life ahead.

Dubai in the 1970s

The Dubai he encountered was nothing like the bustling metropolis it is today. The gold market sat directly along the banks of Dubai Creek. Abras were paddled by hand, and ferry rides cost as little as 10 fils.“There were only about ten gold shops in Bur Dubai and a few more in Deira,” he recalled.

The morning after he arrived, he went out to explore Bur Dubai at midday, only to find everything closed.“I didn't know places were closed because of the death of a trader. They shut their stores as a part of mourning,” he said.

When his attempt to start a workshop in Dubai didn't work out, he moved to Sharjah, where his wife's brother-in-law lived. It turned out to be the best decision.“Sharjah was a very small town then,” he said. A single road connected Dubai and Sharjah, flanked by empty desert. Al Mulla Plaza was the landmark signalling entry into Dubai; for Sharjah, it was the old Sharjah Cinema.

Starting from scratch

In the mid-1970s, Amratlal began working as a goldsmith from the very house he lived in. Everything was done by hand. There were no machines, no electric tools, not even steady electricity.“We used to get electricity for just three hours on one street, then it moved to the next street,” he said.“We worked when electricity came and rested when the power was switched off.”

A turning point came in 1976 when new rules allowed anyone to apply for a trade licence. This opened the path for him to dream bigger. Amratlal convinced a relative to invest while he contributed skill and effort. Together, they ran a small workshop from home, slowly taking orders and building trust.

By 1980, he opened his first store - Yogesh Jewellers - near the famous Sharjah Cinema. Over the years, he opened a few more shops, but eventually shifted his focus fully to manufacturing, where his strength truly lay.

A bangle that went 'viral' in the 70s

One of his cherished memories is the first bangle he ever designed entirely by himself: a handmade, Italian-style piece crafted using an iron mould he had created.“For the first month, no one knew about it,” he said.“But after two months, it went viral. Everyone wanted that design.” The bangle became his signature and established him as a trusted craftsman in the UAE gold community.

A nine-generation legacy

Amratlal comes from a long line of goldsmiths - seven generations before him worked in the trade. His son and grandson now continue the tradition, marking the eighth and ninth generations in gold manufacturing.

His family joined him in the UAE in 1975. The residency visa cost just Dh10 at the time. Over the years, it became Dh15, then Dh50, then Dh60.“This is a reminder of how quickly and beautifully the country has grown.”

One of the clearest signs of Dubai's changing times is the price of gold.

In 1973:

• 1 tola (11.664g) cost Dh65

• 1 gram costs just under Dh6

By 1980, a TT bar (116.64g) had reached Dh10,000, and in 1997 the same bar dropped to Dh3,700.“After that, prices never really went back down. Today, gold rates are a global topic. I still remember the Dh6 days like they were yesterday.”

A lifetime of craftsmanship

From a tiny corner of a house in Sharjah to a major manufacturing setup, his growth has been steady, honest, and driven by skill. Today, his unit produces around 150 kilos of gold ornaments every month and supplies clients across the GCC. He now employs 85 workers, a far cry from the days when he made jewellery by hand in a room lit for only three hours a day.

Despite everything he has built, one memory stands out above all.“When I came to Dubai, my first dream was to buy a Rado watch,” Das said. It took him six years, but in 1979 he finally bought it - and he still wears it today.

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