Pearling & Bahrain's Pre-Oil Economy
For millennia, pearling and its associated trades shaped Bahrain’s culture, society, and economy.
By: Wael Sultan/Arab America Contributing Writer
Bahrain, a small archipelago in the Arabian Gulf, used to be the world’s premier natural pearl hotspot. Historically, Bahrain was the seat of the ancient Dilmun civilization (late fourth millennium to 800 BC). When describing Bahrain’s islands, every ancient author had to mention the fine pearls found in its warm and shallow waters. The abundance of sweet water from springs and groundwater supplied the island with much of its drinking needs. It gave rise to civilization in a mainly desolate region. Dilmun was a prosperous place because it was a land blessed by the gods. The island was considered an oasis of fertility in ancient times. This concept could have given rise to a Sumerian legend that Bahrain may have been the biblical Garden of Eden.
“Sumerian tales of the Garden Paradise of Dilmun may have been an inspiration for the Garden of Eden story.”
Pearl grounds originally stretched on the Arabian side of the Gulf from Kuwait along the coast of Saudi Arabia to Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the Sultanate of Oman. The Phoenicians, who likely held the first monopoly on the pearl trade, later succeeded by early Arab sailors undertaking long, laborious journeys in their traditional sailing ships, called dhows.
Bahrain was the regional economic hub and center of pearling industry. Pearl divers and other crew from across the Gulf arrived to test their fate on board the primitive dhows.
The oyster beds of Muharraq, an island north-east of Bahrain’s main island, was the Gulf’s pearling capital for centuries. Virtually everybody there was involved directly in pearling activities or its supply industries. The pearling season’s outcome gave livelihood to many locals and their trades: merchants, creditors, boat owners, and makers, captains, divers, haulers, and sail-makers. The pearls collected in Muharraq-Bahrain got sent to Europe, India, and beyond, where they were refined and traded to larger and sophisticated markets.
In 1877, pearls contributed about three-quarters of Bahrain’s total exports, routing for Bombay, Persia, and Turkey. Following the turn of the century, Europe emerged as a significant direct market for Bahrain’s pearl exports. The economy of this tiny island peaked when demand increased six-fold between 1900 and 1912. Indian merchants were joined in Bahrain by others from Paris, London, and New York; all were competing to secure the finest pearls at the source.
The Mighty Pearl Rush!
Shortly after the pearl industry boom, a series of unfortunate catastrophes, including wars, price crashes, the arrival of cheap cultivated pearls from Japan, the Wall Street crash and its impact on the market for luxury goods, and riots by divers aggrieved at the loss of income, all led to the rapid decline in the 1930s and ultimately the total collapse of the industry by 1950.
Even though the pearl industry became exhausted due to irreversible economic change in the 20th century, many of its features and practices survive. It remains the primary factor in Bahraini cultural identity and a tourist attraction. The surviving traces of Bahrain’s pearling heritage are rare testaments to the Gulf’s trans-regional, socio-economic connections before discovering oil.
The fall of the pearling economy and the almost simultaneous discovery of oil and gas resources in Bahrain saw Muharraq’s role diminish. Nevertheless, the city of Manama, located just across the bay on the main island of Bahrain, expand. The development pressures on the new administrative capital helped Muharraq retain much of its traditional ambiance. in most parts of the island-city, the street pattern remains as it was in the pearling era, characterized by a maze of narrow, often picturesque alleyways.
“Two pearls are on display in the Bahrain National Museum lay testimony to the longevity of Bahrain’s glorious pearling endeavors; both pearls that are still attached to fragments of shell were excavated at Saar (west of the Capital Manama) and dated to the Early Dilmun period 2000-1800BC giving pearling in Bahrain a staggering 4,000-year-old history.” – Bahrain National Museum.
Another declaration of the importance of pearls and pearling to Bahrain was creating the ‘Pearling Trail’ in modern-day Muharraq. This 2.2 miles (3.5 km) long trail, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on June 30, 2012, is used by pearl divers during much of Bahrain’s history. The site was the last remaining example of pearling’s cultural tradition and wealth when the trade dominated the Gulf’s pre-oil economy.
The Bahraini Islands are filled with history at every corner, even at its rock bottom. for over 4,000 years and to this day Bahraini pearls remained globally renowned for their brilliance, purity, and beauty. Next time you visit Bahrain, rent a Dhow and explore the Pearl trails.
Check out Arab America’s blog here!
