Just a stone's throw away from the bustling cityscape of Abu Dhabi lies a window into the UAE's historical ties to the pearling industry – the Abu Dhabi Pearls Centre.
Established in 2007 in Al Mirfa, the centre has intensified its efforts not only towards the sustainable farming of pearls, but also towards preserving and reviving the region's traditions. The centre recently hosted its first Abu Dhabi Pearls Festival, which concludes on Thursday. The event provides interactive educational, entertainment and heritage activities that help visitors learn about the emirate’s maritime and pearl-diving heritage.
“The centre’s objective is to sustainably farm pearls by adopting the latest technologies and innovations,” said Ahmed Al Hashemi, executive director of terrestrial and marine biodiversity sector at Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
Looking back for the future
Within the boundaries of the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve, the centre is capable of cultivating approximately 100,000 operated oysters, the term given to oysters impregnated with a nucleus to grow a pearl, and harvesting 20,000 pearls annually. The centre produces pearls using local oyster species Pinctada radiata in the waters of the Arabian Gulf. At the moment, the pearls produced are provided to local academic institutions, however, there are plans to sell the locally grown pearls by the end of the year.
Ayesha Hassan Alhammadi, unit head of the Abu Dhabi Pearls Centre told The National that the centre works with schools and university to show the history of pearling in the region, as well as the process of operating on oysters to farm pearls. Each pearl can take up to five years to grow following a delicate procedure that involves inserting a piece of oyster shell into the host oyster.
Khaled Khaleel Al Hammadi, a technician at the centre told The National that farming the oysters helps to naturally clean the marine environment. “The oyster is a filter feeder, each oyster clean 50 gallons of water per day.”
This is important for marine life, as John Burt, Professor of Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi highlighted that the biogenic reefs that pearl oysters form are “hotspots of biodiversity, supporting numerous species of fish and other organisms that use these areas as habitat and foraging areas”.
A report published by The Nature Conservancy said that pearl oysters could also play a role in reducing organic contaminants and metals in water through organic filter feeding. As part of further efforts to support sustainable pearl farming in the region – in December, the environment agency announced a freshwater pearl oyster aquaculture project in Al Faya. The project, an extension of the Abu Dhabi Pearls Centre in Mirfa, is dedicated to culturing new oyster types in the emirate.
Travelling back in time
Before the discovery of oil in the late 1950s and early 1960s, pearling was vital to the UAE's economy. In the 19th century, pearl diving contributed to as much as 95 per cent of the region's income. At its peak in the early 20th century, approximately 80,000 men worked on pearling vessels.
Prof Burt told The National that pearl oysters have a long history of cultural use in the UAE. “There is archaeological evidence dating back to the Neolithic period, not long after the start of human civilisation, of pearls being used for jewellery and shells being used to make fish hooks,” said Prof Burt.
Across the UAE, in Ras Al Khaimah, Suwaidi Pearls, established in 2004 by Abdulla Rashed Al Suwaidi, is a tourism destination that aims to highlight his family's heritage.
Raki Phillips, chief executive of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, told The National that such initiatives were a great example of a sustainable attraction that positively impacts the community. “The experience provides a historical overview of this tradition, and most of the tour guides that work at the farm are from the Al Rams area,” he said. “They speak with pride about their work, as it reflects the ancestral heritage of the Emiratis.”
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Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Carzaty%2C%20now%20Kavak%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20launched%20in%202018%2C%20Kavak%20in%20the%20GCC%20launched%20in%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20140%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Automotive%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20raised%20%246m%20in%20equity%20and%20%244m%20in%20debt%3B%20Kavak%20plans%20%24130m%20investment%20in%20the%20GCC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WHAT%20IS%20THE%20LICENSING%20PROCESS%20FOR%20VARA%3F
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
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1. Fasting
2. Prayer
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Racecard
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes (PA) Group 3 Dh175,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile (TB) Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
The National selections
6.30pm: Chaddad
7.05pm: Down On Da Bayou
7.40pm: Mass Media
8.15pm: Rafal
8.50pm: Yulong Warrior
9.25pm: Chiefdom
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
