Anwar Hussain travelled in 1967 to the unfamiliar island of Bahrain with Britain's military machine acting as the island's protectorate.

He was the army's "official cobbler" on a salary of BD25. A strapping young man from Lahore, the historical city of Pakistan, Anwar, then 25, was well-trained in the skill of shoemaking.

He made his first shoe at the age of 12 after training for six years under the tutelage of a master Chinese shoemaker. "I was six when I started doing menial jobs at the popular Kingson Shoes which was located on Lahore's famous Mall Road and eventually learned the technicalities of making a perfect pair of shoes," Haji Anwar added.

Anwar's painstaking training and long hours of hard work bore fruit and recognition when in Bahrain he made riding boots for the late Shaikh Isa's jockey which caught the eye of the late Amir. So when Anwar was summoned to Zallaq Garden Palace by the late Amir's driver and butler he was dumbfounded.

"I took my register, pencil and a measuring tape and sat in the official car to proceed to Zallaq. All through the way I thought to myself that I'm not experienced enough to make shoes for the ruler of Bahrain!"

In 1970, Anwar made the first pair of shoes for the royal feet which was a UK size five, black leather dress shoe with a one-and-a-half inch heel. "Shaikh Isa had an unusual arch in his feet which meant ready-made shoes did not fit him well which is why he commissioned me to make his shoes. Even if he bought shoes from Europe I normally used to make the necessary adjustments before he wore them," he recounted.

It was Anwar's ability to make light and modern shoes that put him a notch above another Indian cobbler on the island and made him the late Amir's favoured shoemaker.

Late Shaikh Isa also asked Anwar to copy one of the newest designs from the latest shoe catalogues from London or Switzerland. From open sandals to closed leather shoes and formal dress shoes, Anwar made shoes of all shapes and colours for the late Shaikh Isa till his death in 1999.

"It was not just about producing a shoe from a catalogue but all about a perfect fit. I used to take the half finished shoe and check the fit and make necessary adjustments before sewing it with my hand and presenting the finished pair to the late Amir," says Haji Anwar who continues the practice to this day.

According to Haji Anwar it takes one day to personally fit and make adjustments in a single pair of shoes.

He has numerous clients from all walks of life and his shop although discreet has a steady stream of customers.

He has regular orders from Bahrain Defence Force, Bahrain Municipality and Bahrain Mounted Police to name but a few.

A tailor-made pair of riding boots at National Shoe Makers cost BD70 whereas it costs an average of BD120 from an equestrian outlet. The minimum price for a made-to-order leather shoe is BD40. Haji Anwar is proud of his creations and imports leather from Cyprus and sole leather from Pakistan and instead of using glue each shoe is meticulously hand-stitched together.

Now with his failing eyesight, Haji Anwar is unable to perform the detailed stitching. His two sons Sohail Anwar, 27 and Ahmed Anwar, 23 who were born at Salmaniya Medical Complex have been trained by their father in the skill of shoemaking and have taken over the production aspect of the family business. No shoe leaves the shop without Haji Anwar's approval as he sits in his shop and directs his sons in the vocation that is close to his heart.

He has come a long way from being an underprivileged child to a reputable shoemaker whose children hold college degrees; in fact his youngest daughter is a doctor in Pakistan.

But Haji Anwar laments the fact that the country where he spent the finest years of his life and gave it his best appears to shun him now.

"I opened my shop in 1971 under the sponsorship of the Amiri court. But after Shaikh Isa's death when my visa expired in 2001, I was asked to leave Bahrain within a month.

"That came as a big shock to me as I had invested considerably in my business. Also, after living here for so many years my family and I consider Bahrain our home now.

"I applied for Bahraini nationality for myself and my family in July 2001 and have been interviewed thrice, the last time in February this year, but haven't heard anything from the authorities," says Haji Anwar, who along with his younger son Ahmed have gone from pillar to post with their application receipt to know the status of their request but have heard the same 'we will let you know' response from various Immigration and royal court officials.

He has shown the receipt received from the authorities for documents and evidence he has handed over.

When GulfWeekly contacted the office of the Royal Court and the Department of Nationality and Passports at the Immigration Department for a comment and supplied them with details including Haji Anwar's CPR number they said they "could not trace any record" of his application for Bahraini nationality.