On June 1, on shores across the UAE, men, women and children would gather for a ceremony called hiraat, the word for oyster bed.
It marked the first day of Ghous Al Kabir, or the big dive, where pearl-diving crews would be sent off to sea on wooden dhows with a beachfront ceremony, according to the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi.
The community would bid them farewell from the water's edge, as they prepared for the new pearl-fishing season, which would end in September with the firing of a cannon.
The weather was hot, but the seas would be calm and clear, perfect for diving.
The crews were made up of about 30 people, mostly men, but sometimes boys and girls.
Some would survive while others would die. It was hard
Buti Al Mazrouei
There were many roles involved in the four-month operation. A nukhadh, the owner or manager of the boat, ran things, while the captain, or sardal, was the expert navigator, who knew where all the best oyster beds were located.
Then there were the divers, who had the most perilous job, but also the seib, who were the men in charge of the rope, or yada, used to lower the divers into the sea and pull them back up. Tabbab were boys aged between 10 and 14 who would help the seib. They were often the children of crew members.
Boys referred to as ridha would serve food and tea, and help to open oyster shells.
The naham had arguably the most important role, keeping up morale by providing entertainment in the form of songs and poetry during those long months at sea.
The divers would use a fettam, a clip made of turtle shell or sheep's bone, to keep their nostrils closed while underwater and a rope, known as the zubail was attached to a diver's leg and tied to a stone weight in order to help them sink to the sea floor. They'd put the oysters they collect into a dean, or woven bag, tied around their neck.
"Some people would dive and others would stay on the boat," said Buti Al Mazrouei in an interview with The National to mark the UAE's 50th anniversary. At aged 12, Mazrouei would spend summers on diving fleets taking pearls from oysters.
“They would take a maximum of four minutes underwater depending on how strong their lungs were. Some would survive while others would die. It was hard," he said.
The pearl-diving industry dates back about 6,000 to 7,000 years and it was the main driver of the economy in the seven Trucial States until the discovery of oil in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
In the 19th century pearl diving accounted for as much as 95 per cent of the region's income, and at its height, early in the 20th century, about 80,000 men worked on the pearling vessels — 22,000 in the Trucial States alone. The historic centre of pearl diving in the Arabian Gulf, however, was and is Bahrain, where in 2021 the country's Institute for Pearls and Gemstones said it significantly increased the number of diving licences it issued, including for the first time, female pearl divers.
Scroll through the gallery below to see Bahrain's Unesco-listed Pearling Path
Today, natural stones are still immensely valuable when compared to artificial alternatives, and so pearl fishing is making a gradual, safer comeback as countries across the region look to diversify their economy and tap into their rich heritages.
Those who remember the old days of pearl diving can hardly lament the loss of its dangerous processes, but a revival of its ceremonial traditions wouldn't go amiss.
On the last days of Ghous Al Kabir, as the cannon's fire emanated through the skies, families would prepare for their loved ones' arrival. They would decorate their homes with cloth flags, called bayraq or bandira, and prepare sweets, juices, nuts and other treats.
Dhows could be seen in the distance, steering their way to the UAE's beaches. As crews stepped off, the community would sing songs of welcome, to which they would reply with melodies of their own.
In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth
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Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
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