Sea of Pearls: Seven Thousand Years of the Industry that Shaped the Gulf

Pearls shaped Gulf economies and cities, redefining social and political life for centuries.

Text in Arabic

Since Antiquity, the natural pearls of the Gulf have been celebrated as the world's finest, most lustrous and most plentiful. From the early days of maritime trade until the 1920s, they were the primary commodity of Arabia and Persia's coastal communities and were traded across the globe, becoming one of the most sought-after luxury commodities in the world. Rising international demand ...