Pearl diving in the UAE: the voyage, the crew and their tools

Before oil, natural pearls were among the most precious things to come out of the UAE's sea, and diving for them was how many people on the coast made a living. The UAE Government Portal notes that pearl exports remained Abu Dhabi's main industry until 1958.^[1]

The «Al Ghous Al Kabir» season

Diving did not go on all year. Its main and longest season was «Al Ghous Al Kabir» (the great dive), which ran in summer from 1 June to 30 September — four whole months that the crews spent on the diving voyage.^[2]

A whole ship, and everyone with a job

The voyage was made on wooden sailing ships generally known as «dhows». On board, every member of the crew knew exactly what to do:^[2]

• Nakhuda: the owner or manager of the ship, who led the voyage and shared out the profits among the crew at the end of the season.
• Sirdal: the commander of the whole fleet, the one who knew best where the oyster beds were.
• Diver: went down to the sea bed to gather the oysters.
• Seib: held the diver's rope and pulled him back to the surface.
• Nahham: the ship's singer, who entertained the sailors with songs and poetry while they worked.
• Tabbab: a boy aged 10 to 14 who helped with the ropes.

Simple tools, great courage

The diver had no air tanks and no modern equipment. He went down with the help of the zubail, a rope tied to a stone weight that helped him descend. Around his neck hung the diyeen, a woven bag in which he gathered the oysters, and then the seib pulled him up to the surface.^[2]

From the sea to the majlis: the tawawish

The pearls that came out of the sea went to the tawawish, the pearl merchants, who had majlises of their own. It shows that the Emirati majlis was never only for hospitality: it also had a place in people's lives and work.^[3]

Where can we see this heritage today?

Pearl diving is no longer how people make a living, but its story lives on. In Ras Al Khaimah, the «Pearl Farm» introduces visitors to the craft of diving.^[4]