Ghous Al Kabir marked start of the four-month pearl-diving season in the UAE

As part of 'the big dive', crews would head out on dhows to search for the best oyster beds

A photograph of the pearl divers on display at the Pearl Museum at Emirates NBD head office in Deira, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Stamps picturing pearl-diving tools, with a half piece of pearl placed at the corner of each stamp. These were issued in 2005. Reem Mohammed / The National

Men who once worked as crew on pearl-diving ships help out on their friend's racing dhow. Many still gather with other pearl divers in Umm Sequim 1, a fishing port near Burj Al Arab. Nicole Hill / The National

Young men hunt for pearls in the oysters they harvest while participating in the Kuwait Sea Sports Club's Pearl Diving Heritage Revival Festival in 2010.

Jossem Al Ameni, 19, and Mashal Al Dhiferi, 24, dive for pearls in the Arabian Sea in 2009. Andrew Henderson / The National

Kuwaitis sail in traditional dhows during preparations for the annual pearl diving expedition in 2009. Andrew Henderson / The National

Attiq Khalfan, left, and Ahmed Majed, back right, once worked as crew on pearl-diving ships. Nicole Hill / The National

A traditional pearl-diving experience is recreated for tourists as part of an EMAG and Jumeirah-run event in Dubai in 2012. Antonie Robertson / The National

Boats sail into the Arabian Sea off the coast of Khairan, Kuwait, the traditional site for the Al Ghous Festival, to undertake in the 23rd pearl diving expedition in 2009. Andrew Henderson / The National

Bakeet Bin Safan, pictured in 2008, used to work on a pearl diving ship. Nicole Hill / The National

A photograph of pearl diver Faraj Al Muhairbi's souvenir pearls, collected over a lifetime of diving. Sarah Dea / The National

An organiser holds pearls that young sailors found in oysters on August 4, 2009 during the Al Ghous Festival in Kuwait. Andrew Henderson / The National

The divers would use a fettam, a clip made of turtle shell or sheep's bone, to keep their nostrils closed while underwater. Andrew Henderson / The National

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

Al Alawi House is one site on Bahrain's Unesco World Heritage List-inscribed Pearling Path. All photos Timothy Power

A view of the wind tower at Al Alawi House.

The Pearling Path's Visitor & Experience Centre in Bahrain. The site consists of 17 houses, two offshore oyster beds and Bu Mahir Fort. It was inscribed onto the Unesco list in 2012.

Fakhro House was the luxury residence of Yousif Abdurrahman Fakhro, a successful timber and boat merchant.

An example of an old wind tower is seen at Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa Palace. Timothy Power

Siyadi House and majlis is part of a complex by one of Bahrain's leading grand pearl merchant families.

Inside the Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Center for Culture & Research.

Siyadi Mosque is a single-storey courtyard mosque, the oldest preserved mosque in Muharraq.

A date press at the Visitor & Experience Centre.

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.

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The creek in Dubai circa 1937. Getty Images

Boats on the Creek in Dubai, with the Customs House in the background, 1967. Getty Images

A view across Dubai Creek in 1967. Getty Images

Dubai Creek in 1964. Photo: Alamy

Ships in 1967 unloading goods on the creek for the Customs Department in Dubai. Getty Images

Dubai Creek, April 1968, taken from a Beaver flying to Sir Bani Yas Island. Photo: Nevile Ryton

Dubai Creek in 1976. Photo: Wam / AFP

The Carlton Hotel on the banks of the Creek in Dubai, circa 1978. The property was later rebuilt as the Carlton Tower Hotel. Getty Images

The mouth of the Creek, circa 1978. Getty Images

Dubai Creek in October, 1977. Getty Images

The building on the right is the National Bank of Dubai.

The National Bank of Dubai building on the edge of Dubai Creek. Photo: Al Ittihad

Dhows on the Creek in the 1970s. Photo: Al Ittihad

Racing driver Juan Manuel Fangio in Dubai on December 11, 1981. Getty Images

An aerial view of the opening of the Dubai Creek Golf and Marina Yacht Club golf course on January 1, 1993 in Dubai. Getty Images

The Creek in 1993. Alamy

The Creek in 1996. Getty Images

View of Bur Dubai and the Creek in 2015. Pawan Singh / The National

Water taxis, known as abras, on Dubai Creek in 2019 take people from Bur Dubai to Deira and back again at sunset. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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Dubai Creek from the Deira side of the city in 2015. Antonie Robertson / The National

Traditional ferry boats, known as abras, cross the Creek that separates Bur Dubai from Deira on January 6, 2022. AFP

A dhow crosses the Creek near the spice souq in 2022. Reem Mohammed / The National

Dubai Creek in May 2022. Chris Whiteoak / The National