The oldest pearling town in the Arabian Gulf has been discovered in Umm Al Quwain.
Announcing the major find on Monday, the Umm Al Quwain Department of Tourism and Archaeology said digs at the site this year have yielded evidence of a thriving more than 1,300-year-old settlement that predates the rise of Islam — with hundreds of houses and several thousand people.
The landmark discovery was made on Al Sinniyah Island, close to the ancient monastery found last year, and it is now believed the monks made their home next to this major pearling settlement.
It sheds light on the harsh life of the pearl trade, how these early communities were plugged into global trade networks and poses questions as to why monks chose to set up their monastery so close.
It was a town like the coal mining towns of the Welsh valleys or Detroit’s car industry. It was big and important
Prof Timothy Power,
United Arab Emirates University
“This is a discovery of major significance for the history of Umm Al Quwain, the UAE and the wider Arabian Gulf,” said Sheikh Majid bin Saud Al Mualla, chairman of the emirate’s Department of Tourism and Archaeology.
“Pearling has been an essential part of our livelihood and our heritage for over 7,000 years, and some of the earliest known evidence of pearling comes from Neolithic graves in Umm Al Quwain,” said Sheikh Majid.
“For the first time, we have the opportunity to study a pearling town from over 1,300 years ago.”
Although other pearling towns of this period are known from historical sources to have existed in the Arabian Gulf, this is the first time the site of one has been investigated, documented and excavated.
One reason is because the town's inhabitants left the island and the site was never reoccupied, ensuring it remained preserved.
“We originally thought it was a village to serve the monks,” said Prof Tim Power of the UAE University, who was part of the team that discovered the site. “But it was clearly much more.”
Digs carried out this winter showed how something special had been unearthed.
As they went down through the layers, archaeologists found palatial dwellings with large courtyards where it is thought wealthy pearl merchants and elite members of society lived.
Surrounding these were smaller houses believed to be the homes of poorer fishermen.
Rich and poor lived side by side and traded with countries across the globe with the town's focus overwhelmingly on pearling during about 200 years of occupation.
“It was a town like the coal mining towns of the Welsh valleys or Detroit’s car industry,” said Prof Power. “It was big and important," adding it was the spiritual ancestor of pearling towns such as Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah's Jazirah Al Hamra.
These homes were built from local beach rock, while the roofs were likely made from palm trunks brought from the mainland.
Several pearls were found, together with a pearl diver’s weight — devices worn by divers to allow them to descend — which is the oldest well-dated instance yet found in the UAE.
Thriving trade
Inside the merchant homes were supplies to sustain the thriving pearl trade, such as bales of rope. “They are very large courtyard houses and similar to those found across the Arabian Peninsula,” said Prof Power. “Families live together, reflecting the Arab way of life.”
The shallow, warm waters of the Gulf were known to produce some of the world’s most prized pearls. It brought trade and wealth but pearl diving was a tough life and divers risked death.
Underlying the tough, back-breaking work of the pearl industry, a huge mound of opened and discarded oyster shells — essentially the industrial waste of the pearl industry — was discovered on a peninsula opposite the town. Archaeologists believe millions of shells could have been discarded here over the 200 years the site was occupied with thousands opened to find one pearl.
The town also traded with the Gulf and beyond. It is densely covered in pottery, glass and coins. Evidence for particularly close links to India was found where it is believed pearls were traded for goods.
“Twelve per cent of ceramics found there had been imported from India,” said Prof Power. "That is exceptionally high.”
Radio carbon and comparisons of the pottery sherds dated the site to the late sixth or early seventh to mid-eighth centuries, beginning around a generation before the rise of Islam and lasting for perhaps two generations after the arrival of Islam in the Emirates. Questions surround its demise. One reason given is regional tensions but more research is needed.
It was likely abandoned in the mid-eighth century and its trajectory roughly follows that of the monastery. The presence of the monks speaks to a time when Christianity and Islam coexisted.
While further investigation is needed to determine the exact relationship between the two, it is clear why the location was chosen. Al Sinniyah, shaped like several fingers, protects the mangrove-fringed Khor Al Beida lagoon. Today it seems remote. Driving across rutted tracks to reach the settlement, gazelles run for cover, while falcons perch on trees. But it is thought people made their home here because of the easy availability of food such as birds and fish. “It was a good place to be to catch your dinner,” said Prof Power.
It was also close to the pearl beds, the lagoon was sheltered and made for a good natural harbour and it was a source of beach rock. Beach rock — stabilised sand — is a naturally forming rock occurring in lagoons. Fresh water springs were also believed to be in the vicinity and residents may have even planted palm trees.
The 12-hectare town — about the size of 12 football pitches — is now believed to be one of the largest surviving urbanised settlements comparable to the urban core of medieval Julfar in Ras Al Khaimah. The scale of the settlement is impressive there are even the remains of tandour ovens where residents cooked food.
The pearling town and monastery were found under the Al Sinniyah Island Archaeology Project, involving the Umm Al Quwain Department of Tourism and Archaeology; UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth; UAE University; the Italian Archaeological Mission in Umm Al Quwain; and the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University.
Further work is expected at the site and there are also plans to build a visitor’s centre and open it to the public.
“It is the highlight of my career,” said Prof Power. “And one of the most exciting sites I’ve ever worked on.”
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
The Case For Trump
By Victor Davis Hanson
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
RESULTS
Women:
55kg brown-black belt: Amal Amjahid (BEL) bt Amanda Monteiro (BRA) via choke
62kg brown-black belt: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Ffion Davies (GBR) via referee’s decision (0-0, 2-2 adv)
70kg brown-black belt: Ana Carolina Vieira (BRA) bt Jessica Swanson (USA), 9-0
90kg brown-black belt: Angelica Galvao (USA) bt Marta Szarecka (POL) 8-2
Men:
62kg black belt: Joao Miyao (BRA) bt Wan Ki-chae (KOR), 7-2
69kg black belt: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Gianni Grippo (USA), 2-2 (1-0 adv)
77kg black belt: Espen Mathiesen (NOR) bt Jake Mackenzie (CAN)
85kg black belt: Isaque Braz (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE), 2-0
94kg black belt: Felipe Pena (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL), 4-0
110kg black belt final: Erberth Santos (BRA) bt Lucio Rodrigues (GBR) via rear naked choke
MEYDAN CARD
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group Two (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm Dubai Trophy Conditions (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
The National selections:
6.30pm AF Alwajel
7.05pm Ekhtiyaar
7.40pm First View
8.15pm Benbatl
8.50pm Zakouski
9.25pm: Kimbear
10pm: Chasing Dreams
10.35pm: Good Fortune
CRICKET%20WORLD%20CUP%20LEAGUE%202
%3Cp%3EMannofield%2C%20Aberdeen%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EAll%20matches%20start%20at%202pm%20UAE%20time%20and%20will%20be%20broadcast%20on%20icc.tv%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20fixtures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EWednesday%2C%20Aug%2010%20%E2%80%93%20Scotland%20v%20UAE%3Cbr%3EThursday%2C%20Aug%2011%20-%20UAE%20v%20United%20States%3Cbr%3ESaturday%2C%20Aug%2014%20%E2%80%93%20Scotland%20v%20UAE%3Cbr%3EMonday%2C%20Aug%2015%20%E2%80%93%20UAE%20v%20United%20States%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20squad%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EAhmed%20Raza%20(captain)%2C%20Chirag%20Suri%2C%20Muhammad%20Waseem%2C%20Vriitya%20Aravind%2C%20CP%20Rizwan%2C%20Basil%20Hameed%2C%20Rohan%20Mustafa%2C%20Zawar%20Farid%2C%20Kashif%20Daud%2C%20Karthik%20Meiyappan%2C%20Zahoor%20Khan%2C%20Junaid%20Siddique%2C%20Sabir%20Ali%2C%20Alishan%20Sharafu%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETable%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20(top%20three%20teams%20advance%20directly%20to%20the%202023%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier)%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E1.%20Oman%2036%2021%2013%201%201%2044%3Cbr%3E2.%20Scotland%2024%2016%206%200%202%2034%3Cbr%3E3.%20UAE%2022%2012%208%201%201%2026%3Cbr%3E--%3Cbr%3E4.%20Namibia%2018%209%209%200%200%2018%3Cbr%3E5.%20United%20States%2024%2011%2012%201%200%2023%3Cbr%3E6.%20Nepal%2020%208%2011%201%200%2017%3Cbr%3E7.%20Papua%20New%20Guinea%2020%201%2019%200%200%202%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
The Bio
Ram Buxani earned a salary of 125 rupees per month in 1959
Indian currency was then legal tender in the Trucial States.
He received the wages plus food, accommodation, a haircut and cinema ticket twice a month and actuals for shaving and laundry expenses
Buxani followed in his father’s footsteps when he applied for a job overseas
His father Jivat Ram worked in general merchandize store in Gibraltar and the Canary Islands in the early 1930s
Buxani grew the UAE business over several sectors from retail to financial services but is attached to the original textile business
He talks in detail about natural fibres, the texture of cloth, mirrorwork and embroidery
Buxani lives by a simple philosophy – do good to all
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Kanye%20West
%3Cp%3EYe%20%E2%80%94%20the%20rapper%20formerly%20known%20as%20Kanye%20West%20%E2%80%94%20has%20seen%20his%20net%20worth%20fall%20to%20%24400%20million%20in%20recent%20weeks.%20That%E2%80%99s%20a%20precipitous%20drop%20from%20Bloomberg%E2%80%99s%20estimates%20of%20%246.8%20billion%20at%20the%20end%20of%202021.%3Cbr%3EYe%E2%80%99s%20wealth%20plunged%20after%20business%20partners%2C%20including%20Adidas%2C%20severed%20ties%20with%20him%20on%20the%20back%20of%20anti-Semitic%20remarks%20earlier%20this%20year.%3Cbr%3EWest%E2%80%99s%20present%20net%20worth%20derives%20from%20cash%2C%20his%20music%2C%20real%20estate%20and%20a%20stake%20in%20former%20wife%20Kim%20Kardashian%E2%80%99s%20shapewear%20firm%2C%20Skims.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16