How photos of a pearl-diving grandfather inspired one Emirati to pay homage to traditions

For centuries the UAE was renowned for its natural pearls. Harvested from the pristine waters of the Arabian Gulf, they were highly prized around the world for their lustre and quality.

The pearl trade was a pillar of the economy until the discovery of oil, along with the Japanese development of cultured pearls starting in the 1950s, brought an end to that era.

For Salama Mohamed, these water gems remind her of her late grandfather, Mosa Al Qubaisi, who was a pearl diver in the 1940s.

“Whenever we had a family gathering,” she says, “I would play around with the mandoos [a wooden trunk traditionally used by brides to keep their apparel], where my grandpa kept his pearls.”

He also stored black-and-white photographs of his time as a pearl diver, which Mohamed was fond of looking at.

“In one of the old photos, my grandfather is surrounded by his tools and he is busy opening an oyster. As long as I could remember, I loved pearls,” says Mohamed, who also began to collect them as a hobby.

Pearls were a significant source of trade in Roman times and by the 12th century, the towns along the UAE’s coast were important pearling centres, in particular Ras Al Khaimah.

And it was a vital source of seasonal employment for people here. It is thought that by the 19th century, pearl diving accounted for as much as 95 per cent of the region’s income, and by the start of the 20th century, it is believed about 1,200 pearling boats operated from the Trucial States.

It is this connection to the older traditions of the country that inspired the mother of two to launch her jewellery business, Pearl by Salama. “I had a goal when I started. I wanted people to carry a piece of our culture with them on a daily basis.”

Original article by Asmaa Al Hameli

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How photos of a pearl-diving grandfather inspired one Emirati to pay homage to traditions