Abdoolally Ebrahim & Co (HK), Ltd. – founded in 1842
“Abdoolally Ebrahim & Co (HK), Ltd. was formerly known as Ebrahim Noordin & Company. The company was founded in 1842 and is based in Hong Kong. It has branch offices in China, India, and Pakistan
In 1841, Seth Ebrahim Noordin, a man who survived a shipwreck and arrived in India on a bale of cotton, came ashore in Hong Kong with the British East India Company just a few months after the British landed.
Within a mere year, he set up Abdoolally Ebrahim to trade cotton, silk and tea, and founded Hong Kong’s first ever cross-harbour ferry services.
In 1951 Abdoolally Ebrahim was changed from a partnership to a limited company that went by the name of Abdoolally Ebrahim & Co (HK) Ltd, now the principal subsidiary of the Abdoolally Ebrahim Group (AEG).(1)
“The Abdulallay [sic] Ebrahim firm opened its doors in Hong Kong in 1842 after setting up business the year before in Guangzhou where they dealt in silk, spices, and art, while importing raw cotton and finished goods from India.”(2)
This article was first posted on 4th July 2017.
Sources:
- Abdoolally Ebrahim Group website
- White B-S, Turbans & Traders: Hong Kong’s Indian Communities, Oxford University Press, 1994
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