• Kuwaiti divers jump in the warm August waters of the Arabian Gulf to look for pearls. All photos by Yasser Al Zayyat / AFP Photo
    Kuwaiti divers jump in the warm August waters of the Arabian Gulf to look for pearls. All photos by Yasser Al Zayyat / AFP Photo
  • Pearl diving season is in full swing off the coast of Khairan, a port city about 100 kilometres south of Kuwait City.
    Pearl diving season is in full swing off the coast of Khairan, a port city about 100 kilometres south of Kuwait City.
  • A Kuwaiti diver finds a small pearl in an oyster shell.
    A Kuwaiti diver finds a small pearl in an oyster shell.
  • Pearl-diving trips are held annually under the patronage of the Kuwaiti emir.
    Pearl-diving trips are held annually under the patronage of the Kuwaiti emir.
  • The trips aim to keep alive tradition. The pearl trade was once Kuwait's most important before the discovery of oil.
    The trips aim to keep alive tradition. The pearl trade was once Kuwait's most important before the discovery of oil.
  • Kuwaiti dhows out on the water.
    Kuwaiti dhows out on the water.
  • A young Kuwaiti returns to his dhow after a dive.
    A young Kuwaiti returns to his dhow after a dive.

On the hunt for pearls in Kuwait - in pictures

Kuwaiti divers are on the hunt for pearls during the annual diving season in the Arabian Gulf

The National staff

August 02, 2017

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Kuwait