The A to Z 
collector

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The A to Z 
collector

Postby azi malik on Mon Jul 18, 2011 11:37 pm

Emirati businessman Suhail Al Zarooni holds 
the Guinness book of World Records title twice for his cars collection and has put the UAE on the map for collectibles from every part of the world


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Some collect cars and others bottle top openers. Do any of us enjoy collecting almost everything? Emirati businessman, Suhail Al Zarooni collects everything except “human beings (they can be quite expensive)” and his enormous villa in which he arranges his many breathtaking collections, will turn into a museum very soon.

As soon as you enter the huge gates, you can spot a few vintages — Mercedes Benz cars and one that has the top-half sliced off. “That car’s used as a table,” quips his secretary Afraz. Inside the house, the walls are pasted with newspaper and magazine clippings of the number of interviews the man has given. It’s as big as a street and is aptly called the ‘Media Street.’ One display has the certificates awarded to him from Guinness Book of World Records, one in 2002 for the collection of 1,600 cars, and the very next year he acquired another 2,000 cars and holds the record for 2003 as well.

“I bought my first model car while studying in London and returned to the Emirates in 1990. Since then, I have been collecting miniature cars utilising almost all of my free time and space to store them. Friends and family members rarely think twice about what to gift me — all I ever want is to grow my car and other collections,” says the businessman whose passion for dinky cars started as a 10-year-old studying in Pakistan.



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Many of Suhail’s cars are expensive and exclusive, like the 40 different coloured Hummers he has displayed, that are the only ones of their kind worldwide. He presently has almost all miniature company cars ever made, including the new Maybach and even one from the 1950s. One of Suhail’s special miniature collections includes JFK’s car, James Bond cars and Hitler’s Mercedes Benz. His collections also comprise the unique Warner Bros models. To add to this, he has started customising cars into police cars and taxis from the UAE. He has also custom-made cars that are used by the world’s presidents and royal families, including that of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. “The model cars are made by brands and I see the details inside when I buy. Doors, hoods, trunks and fuel caps that open, ashtrays that slide out and glove compartments that work are some of the realised features. I don’t get cheated because I buy from authentic sources,” he reveals.

Today, he looks back at his collection of more than 10,000 miniature cars worth millions of dollars, which he started over two decades ago. “I love every single part about these street machines. I love the sound, speed and especially the looks of these rolling masterpieces. The inspiration of cars will never escape out of my mind,” he adds.

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It’s not only the motor industry that fascinates him. He also has an expansive collection from the 250-year-old royal British brand Wedgwood. The friendly ties that Britain maintains with the UAE, especially since the 1980s, caused him to create a collection of Lady Diana Dolls purchased mostly from Harrods in London. Out of 27 in the world he has 17 and has ordered five more this year. Owing to the personal friendship that Lady Diana held with Gianni Versace, there is a burgeoning fabric and glassware selection of Versace, soon to have its own lounge within the museum.

There are two lovely new Wedgwood items that Suhail has just added to his collection — a decorative plate and mug — to commemorate the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton. He is probably one of the first few people in the Emirates to own these within two months of their worldwide televised wedding. “My brother bought that for me from Harrods in London. I enjoy collecting items from places that I visit because the more you travel the more you learn. Also, I love history so anything that will be jotted down is there with me as a memory,” he says.

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Suhail does his research from the net and buys his memorabilia from souq.com and eBay, if not personally. “I do love antiques but if they are rare I would prefer to leave it to the government of that country. These are historical evidences and I feel that antiques should belong to where they are born,” he notes.

Suhail has been part of The Collectors exhibition (this year at Mirdiff City Center from July 14-23), a signature event of Dubai Summer Surprises, for the past six years. His collection on display includes Cartier limited edition pens, miniature car collections, stamps, 24K gold-plated bank notes, coins, crushed bank notes, antiques, Princess Diana doll collection, Harry Potter collection, British Royal family collection, Thai Royal family collection, newspapers, antique crockery, and Wedgwood collection, along with Starbucks mugs. This year a new world record for ‘Coffee Mugs’ is in progress, so you can bring along new mugs with your company logo to add to his gigantic and colourful collection!

Suhail enjoys collecting the unique more than the rare. “I collect everything, indiscriminately. I don’t presume too much to know what’s important and what isn’t. Hoarding has become instinctual, uncontrollable and a primal urge. Like, when I was in Germany a few years ago and I saw my secretary smoking, even though I don’t, I was attracted by the matchbox he used and started collecting those,” he says, adding, “I have bank notes that were printed but were never circulated. Like I have a rare Iraqi currency sheet which was printed by Saddam just before the invasion which never came into use. Also I have autographs of famous people.”

But you must keep tabs on everything you collect, he says. “My collection is so huge that I myself cannot estimate how much it costs, but yes, it’s not a business so I will not sell anything. There aren’t too many collectors in the UAE so I have no competition,” he quips.

Maintenance is difficult as each collectible has to be kept in perfect shape and cleaned regularly and also moving it for various displays is tough. “It is not easy to move it from place to place, it costs a lot and sometimes my things get damaged, but for my country, I’m willing to take that risk,” he reveals.

He has also launched a friendly peace initiative between Emiratis, Indians and Pakistanis called, ‘Boundaries Do Not Bind.’ “Future prosperity of 1.3 billion people of the sub-continent depends on the Indo-Pak relations,” he says, adding, “People ask me as an Emirati, why you? This is a politician’s job, but I say no. We are in the 22nd century now. Peace is easy as much as it’s difficult. We shout from mountaintops looking for peace but it’s hidden elsewhere. I want to make a change and I feel that it is the youth that are the right people to start with not celebrities or politicians.”

He hopes to open his museum by January next year for which he says, “This kind of treasure takes decades to build, hours and hours of care but if you have the passion then all that hardwork brings pleasure and always keeps a smile of satisfaction on your face.”

Museum display

The museum will contain a ‘Ferrari Office,’ a ‘Media Street,’ a ‘Versace Lounge’ and a ‘Wedgwood Majlis.’

In addition, there will be a salon-like display for watches, rare pieces from Cartier, art, antiques, film memorabilia, army and historical figures, Royal Families of the world collection, first time covers and stamps, international newspapers and magazines highlighting important world events, crushed bank notes, currency sheets, coins, currency notes, and consumer brand collectibles like Starbucks drinking mugs and canisters from M&M’s.

azi malik
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