Million-dirham cane a real National Day gem

The bespoke UAE-based cane manufacturer Royal Assaya was commissioned to create a diamond-encrusted carbon fibre assaya worth more than Dh1 million to celebrate this week's National Day.

A diamond encrusted carbon fibre assaya which cost Dh1.12 million to make by Royal Assaya, a Dubai-based manufacturer. Courtesy Royal Assaya

A bespoke UAE-based cane manufacturer was commissioned to make its most extravagant piece yet to celebrate this week’s 43rd National Day – a diamond-encrusted carbon fibre assaya worth more than Dh1 million.

The cane, known as 43, has an Arabic pattern and is capped in platinum with a two-carat diamond. Even the hand-made box it comes in is worth a small fortune, featuring camel leather from a tannery in Al Ain.

The person who commissioned it – and Royal Assaya, the Dubai-based manufacturer, does not know who they are as it was ordered via an agent – wanted something that was “out of this world, one of one, never to be repeated no matter how much money we get offered to make it”, says the British founder of the company, Russell Howes.

“They wanted something traditionally Arabic with platinum, and they wanted the design to feature quite a few diamonds. It had to be top end. There were about three or four rounds of design with them. We hadn’t added the two-carat diamond on the cap. They asked for that.”

It took three months to design and make the assaya, which cost Dh1.1 million, from start to finish.

“We have done a couple of pieces worth Dh320,000. They had quite a few different coloured diamonds on them and some of Sheikh Mohammed’s poems engraved on them as well,” says Mr Howes.

Once used by Bedouins to keep camels in check, the assaya is still used in a traditional dance, the Raqs Al Assaya, and in ceremonies.

Royal Assaya, which makes the assayas out of carbon fibre in a factory in England, was set up in 2011.

Its first customer was the king of Bahrain and it has sold around 320 so far. More often than not, the company does not know the identity of the customer, but they tend to be VIPs and sheikhs.

“It’s like an atelier service. We spend the time in getting the network and developing a brand that isn’t in anyone’s face but is known in the majlis,” says Mr Howes.

q&a it has to be very special

Set up in 2011, Royal Assaya counts VIPs, sheikhs and some of the Gulf’s wealthiest families among its customers. The founder, Russell Howes, reveals more about the company:

What gave you the idea for the company?

We realised that there wasn’t a lot of point of differentiation for locals when they went to certain events or weddings or ceremonies. There was possibly a watch or pen, if it was relevant, or a car. We had seen them with the assayas a lot and no one had made a special one.

Why do you make them from carbon fibre?

We were carbon-fibre manufacturers before this so we decided that it would be a great idea. The cane represents a tradition and culture, and the carbon fibre represents this new futuristic, modern version that the country has. We put those two ideas together and came up with this. Most of my European friends can’t understand how it is a viable business. But to an Emirati male it is received unbelievably well.

How much does a standard assaya cost?

We don’t have a standard one. At the outset we thought we would, but those ones tend not to sell because someone will come to you and say “yes I see you have that, but mine needs to be different”. So what we did was to try to get a standard one, but you number each one and do limited batches. The next one we have coming up is limited to seven pieces. It will be the pearl diver edition and will cost around Dh65,000.

Follow The National's Business section on Twitter