A treasure chest of tales from the life of ‘The Sage of Manama’ has been immortalised in a new set of biographies published recently.

People from all walks of life came together at the National Theatre on Tuesday to celebrate the life of the late Bahraini centenarian, businessman, philanthropist, and visionary Husain Yateem – fondly known as ‘The Sage of Manama’.

The launch of his biographies by prominent writer and photographer Husain Almahroos was accompanied by an exhibition featuring his most treasured belongings, which was the culmination of years’ worth of passion and dedicated research.

The Husain Yateem books, titled The Brighton Student, The Sage of Manama, and The Three Palm Trees, A Biography of Transformations, highlight his role in the economic transformations of Bahrain and the region, leading to social changes over the past century.

“This project has been five years in the making,” the biographer told GulfWeekly.

“For years, I have been researching and spending endless hours in archives in the UK and Bahrain to put together a narrative that would do justice to Husain Yateem’s legacy.

“I talked to people, went through old and rare interviews, until I knew exactly how I wanted to write the biographies.

“I compiled everything I had into notes, and finally, after five years of endless, tireless work, I managed to put everything together.

“Due to the sheer amount of notes and information I gathered, I ended up writing two books instead of one.

“The first book is in a narrative form, while the second one is more of a biography.

“After all the work I put in, I can tell you for an absolute fact, that no words can truly describe what an incredible person Husain Yateem was, and I learned a lot from him.”

The book details the life of Husain Yateem, born in Manama in 1914 to a family of merchants.

After the death of his mother at birth, he was raised by family members who recognised his potential at an early age.

His father, Ali Yateem, was a pharmacist and optometrist educated in India.

In 1928, the young Husain Yateem went to the UK to attend the Brighton Grammar School. He spent 45 days aboard the ship Rajasthan and was the only Arab at the school.

In 1939, he flew to New York for the World’s Fair, where he ended up bringing back Bahrain’s first air conditioner.

Years later, in 1951 he was invited to the UK to accompany the then ruler HH Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. He received a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) from the Queen, a prestigious British honour awarded to individuals for outstanding, long-term service or achievement in their local community, arts, sciences, or public service.

He died in Manama on December 18, 2015 at the age of 101.

The launch of the books was accompanied by an exhibition tracing Husain’s life and career and offering a unique lens into Bahrain’s history, including the emergence of key infrastructure in oil, aviation, and commerce.

Exhibits include a collection of his passports, personal notebooks, identification cards, a classic pocket watch, eyewear, pocket camera, photos, magazines and the MBE medal.

The inauguration was attended by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa.

Other attendees included Husain Yateem’s son Mohammed and granddaughter Hala, both of whom paid tribute to the ‘Sage of Manama’.

“He did a lot for the Bahraini community, which he loved dearly,” said Hala.

“We did not have air conditioners before he brought them, and he did it because he cared for the people of Bahrain and wanted the best for them.”

Mohammed, meanwhile, described his father as a ‘kind and gentle man, who treated everybody – from children to adults – as best as he possibly could.’

The exhibition runs until February 20 at the Bahrain National Theatre.