Pearls and Pearling

The lulu (locally called qamashah), or pearl oyster provided a source of local wealth in the emirates, long before the discovery of oil. Pearl oysters occur naturally on relatively shallow banks (fasht) in the Gulf. By the turn of the twentieth century about 1200 boats were based in ports on the Trucial Coast, manned by some 22,000 men. The pearling industry had transformed the traditional economy of the tribal population. Many families moved to live permanently in one of the coastal settlements, increasing, in particular, the size and importance of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Sharjah, Ras al-Khaimah and the intervening coastal villages were already long-established as ports of the tribal Arabs and they, too, participated in this industry.

During its modest beginnings, pearling constituted just another means of exploiting all the resources available to the tribal people. They cared for their camels and tended the date palms - often in locations which were many days' travelling apart - and then, as pearling flourished, an increasing number of the able-bodied men participated in the dive (ghaus) during four months in the summer. Many of the Liwa-based sub-tribes of the Bani Yas formed co-operatives, which jointly owned a boat and whose members shared the proceeds from the sale of pearls according to an established arrangement, giving the biggest share to the captain, a larger share to the divers than the haulers, and leaving some money aside to finance the preparations for the following year. It was due to pearling that, over several generations, some tribes became more specialized in one economic activity or another and became tied to particular locations. Thus, the Rumaithat and the Qubaisat favoured the maritime activities and became attached to the coastal settlements and the islands, eventually giving up many of the date gardens they had in the Liwa. Other tribal groups such as the Mazari' remained dedicated to the desert. The Manasir went pearling but did not own any boats.