The Arabian Gulf was one of the largest natural
diving economies in the world. By early last century, there were more than
1,000 pearling boats along the Trucial Coast employing an estimated 20,000
pearl divers. Pearl diving was still in play in the UAE but faded away as less
expensive pearls became commonplace. To reconnect Emiratis and tourists with
the once vibrant pearl-diving economy in the Gulf the inaugural public tour
abroad a traditional dhow has now been launched officially giving a chance to
travel back in time and dive in search for the pearls. The proud tradition of
pearl diving in the UAE may be gone but it’s certainly not forgotten. The whole
country used to do pearl diving. Pearling was once the financial lifeblood for
Emiratis in the past when pearls were used to trade for goods around the world.
The local pearl industry collapsed when Far East pearl farmers created the
cultured pearl manually. The pearl diving tour will attempt to recreate the
authentic diving experience through the offering of traditional diving clothes,
fish and rice dishes cooked abroad for lunch and through the sharing of pearl
stories from yesteryear.
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