our history

The genesis of trade for the Al-Bader family began in the early 19th century when Yousef Abdulmohsen Al-Bader (1800 – 1880), then the patriarch of the family, used the largest commercial fleet of Dhows (local sailing ships) in order to trade with India, Iraq, and even East Africa.  Four generations later, as part of the family three brothers Mohammed, Hamad and Yousef Al-Bader in 1966 established Al- Bader Trading Co. and subsidiaries of Al-Bader Group.

Before the discovery of oil (1946), Kuwaiti merchants were the primary source of income for the area and thus held a very strong influence. Yousef Abdulmohsen Al-Bader, one of the leaders of sea trade throughout the region along with other Kuwaiti merchants, helped sustain the economy of Kuwait for decades before the transformation that came with the discovery of oil. In 1835, Al-Bader family built  the first Diwaniyah (familial home), which today still stands as a national monument and is located alongside the National Museum. Yousef Al-Bader Senior was one of the main supplier of Arabian horses to the British Army in India.