Late nineteenth-century Abu Dhabi coast with Qasr Al Hosn and a large traditional pearling fleet during the reign of Zayed the Great
Culture & Traditions, Travel & Places

When Pearls Were Abu Dhabi’s Fortune: Zayed the Great and the Sea

Before oil, Abu Dhabi’s power came partly from the sea. Under Zayed the Great, more than 400 pearling boats worked across the emirate’s maritime economy.