Alfardan’s have been renowned as one of the Arabian Gulf's leading merchant families for over one hundred years

The foundations of the family's fortunes were laid towards the end of the 19th. century by Ibrahim Alfardan, who established himself as a pearl trader, dealing in what was then the Gulf's sole high-value tradable commodity.

The clear warm waters of the Arabian Gulf boast the finest pearls in the world, and the pearl beds off Qatar's coast were known to be among the best in the region. Ibrahim's passion for pearls was so great that he came to be acknowledged as a leading expert on pearls in the Gulf. An attention to detail and a commitment to quality has been central to the Alfardan's business since the earliest days.

The creation of cultured pearls by the Japanese at the end of the 1920's dealt a serious blow to the market for the natural pearl; and the outbreak of World War II caused a catastrophic disruption of trade routes between the Gulf and India, the main market for Gulf pearls.

For the Alfardan’s, the end of World War II was a time to start fresh, using the knowledge they had of business and taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the new oil era.

50 years ago Hussain Alfardan re-established his business starting with a small jewellery shop and a currency exchange operation. Later, he was helped by his sons Ali, Fahad, and Omar in rebuilding the business on a scale that Ibrahim, the founder of the dynasty, would not have been able to imagine; making it a major player not only in the Gulf region, but also on the world stage.