December 2nd Celebrations

The United Arab Emirates celebrated their

40 years of union.

I would like to show you what we did on that day.

On a sandy plot behind our building, to my surprise, 

I found these men with their camels offering 

passers by free camel rides.

All over town there were special events to show 

Dubai's heritage.

My daughter's work had a pearl diving boat on display 

to show the guests how they used to dive for pearls in the early days.

A traditional music band welcomed the guests.

Here you can see the contrast with the traditional boat

 and new boats.

Looking through the oyster for a pearl.

These are the natural jewels found in oysters,

the one on the left was found a month ago, it is perfectly round

and is worth a fortune.

Pearl diving was a way of life for many in the early days. 

Will this oyster hold a treasure?

Not today!

Pearl diving was practiced only part of the year, from April to September. During these months, the water was warm enough for divers from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to dive safely. Their boats, known as dhows, were wooden sailing vessels that featured a triangular sail. The most important crew members were the diver himself and the Al Saib, the sailor in charge of pulling him back up to the surface.

Pearl diving was once the most lucrative profession in the United Arab Emirates and was tightly woven into the UAE culture that dates back around 7,000 years. When the Japanese discovered how to make artificial pearls in the early 1900s, the practice of pearl diving naturally declined. Because of the discovery of oil in the Persian Gulf in the mid-1900s, jobs in the oil industry quickly took over as the most lucrative in the region.

Traditional music with the background of Burj Al Arab.

My daughter Nadia and her colleague

diving for oysters. 

This is my dear husbands dream sandwich,

he loves seafood!

It was an amazing day, thanks for joining me.

Hugs.