He is also a member of the Al Busaid family that ruled East Africa in the 19th century. His father was the governor of Malindi and then transferred to Mombasa in the late 19th century.[1] Sir Ali al-Busaidi defended the rights of the Arabs in the British colony of Kenya. He established the Seif Bin Salem Library in Mombasa.[2] He played a leading role in establishing the first Arab school in 1912.