Tour provides insight into pearl diving

The Arabian Gulf was one of the largest natural diving economies in the world. The proud tradition of pearl diving in the UAE may be gone but it’s certainly not forgotten. To reconnect Emiratis and tourists with the once vibrant pearl economy in the Gulf, Emirates Marine Environmental group (EMEG) and Jumeirah Group have jointly formed a new pearl diving eco tour in waters off Palm Jebel Ali.  Back in the day before cultured pearls cornered the market, scores of Emirati pearl divers would spend weeks aboard a dhow at sea and up to 300 divers per day would explore the depths of the sea in search of the elusive pink pearl.