Meeting Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qassimi
We rent a car at Dubai Airport and, instead of driving into the city, head north to Ajman. We are looking for something that feels more rooted in the Emirates, a place where you wake up and know where you are. Not another hotel that could just as easily be in Paris or New York.
As we enter Ajman, we drive through the narrower streets of the city center, past the Gold Souk and toward the fish market, where dhows are unloading the day’s catch. From there we continue toward the coast, where residential towers line the beachfront. Then, between the high-rises, we spot a heritage-style resort that immediately feels different.
“This must be it,” I say, turning into the driveway.
Meeting Sheikh Mohammed, the man behind the concept
Inside, we stop for a moment in the lobby and look up at the central dome, a feature often seen in traditional Arab architecture. To the left, a staircase leads to what looks like a library. To the right, a restaurant opens toward the beach.
“Can I help you?” a voice behind us asks.
We turn and see a man in uniform.
“Yes,” I say. “We’re from CoolBrands, and we were admiring the architecture. Could you tell us a little about the idea behind the hotel?”
He looks around the lobby and replies, “Perhaps I can introduce you to H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qassimi. He was closely involved in the concept behind the hotel.”
A few minutes later, the concierge leads us to a seating area where a man in a white dishdasha is speaking with two others. The concierge leans in, says a few words, and the man turns to look at us and comes over.
“Welcome to The Ajman Palace,” he says. “My name is Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qassimi.”
We walk out onto the terrace with him as he begins to tell us the story of the hotel.
“Several decades ago, my family had a holiday home on this exact spot,” he says, leading us to a group of sofas overlooking the beach and the calm sea beyond. “Let’s sit.”
We sit down, and almost immediately a waiter appears with a silver tray of mint tea.
“I was very young,” Mohammed says, “but I remember playing on the beach here with my brother and sisters. I remember dinners with my aunts and uncles. This place was full of family.”
He looks out toward the water.
“As the years passed, the family grew. Children grew up, got married, and had children of their own. The house was no longer large enough for everyone, and we could not gather here in the same way.”
Memories brought back to life
I picture the old family house by the sea, long before the hotels and towers rose along the shore.
“It was not quite so dramatic,” Mohammed says with a smile. “But a few years ago, we realized we did not want to lose that family tradition. So we decided to build a resort here, on the site of the old home, a place where we could still receive family and friends, but also welcome travelers who wanted to experience Ajman and a more traditional sense of Arab hospitality.”
He gestures toward the building around us.
“That is also why we chose this architectural style. We wanted it to reflect something of that heritage. We even built a penthouse for my mother, so she can still receive friends and family here.”
He smiles.
“You could say it is our way of continuing the tradition.”
I look out at the beach, then back at the hotel.
“That makes the place feel very personal,” I say. “Thank you for sharing the story.”
Maarten Schafer
Chief Storyteller
CoolBrands People
