Today's Edition
AMEINAH ALZEYOUDI (AL MIRFA CITY, AL DHAFRA REGION)
The inaugural Abu Dhabi Pearls Festival concluded on Thursday after seven days of diverse, interactive and educational experiences, celebrating the emirate's rich pearling heritage. Organised by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) and held at the Abu Dhabi Pearls Centre in Al Mirfa City, the festival highlighted the efforts of the centre in spearheading sustainability and innovation in pearl oyster aquaculture.
The festival offered a variety of educational, recreational and interactive heritage activities and workshops with a focus on enhancing national identity and connecting different generations by celebrating the emirate's authentic heritage.
Speaking to Aletihad, Ayesha Hassan Al Hammadi, Unit Head at Abu Dhabi Pearls Centre, said the main goal of the festival was to foster ecotourism and raise awareness. She noted that the centre harvests 20,000-25,000 pearls annually.
Also speaking to Aletihad, Khaled Khaleel Al Hammadi, Technician - Abu Dhabi Pearls Centre, said the centre aims to revive the pearling heritage and develop sustainable marine aquaculture.
He outlined the process of culturing pearl oysters, explaining that EAD sets out spat collectors in the form of floating ropes at sea to collect oyster spat. These spat remain in the sea for one year to ensure successful settlement. After this period, the young oysters are collected and brought back to the site for further growth. They are then nurtured in various nets for an additional year to reach the appropriate size for nuclear insertion.
At two years of age, a nucleus made from the shell of a freshwater mussel is inserted into the body of the live oyster. The oysters are then returned to the sea to grow naturally for two more years in pristine waters, producing beautiful pearls. During this period, the oysters are carefully monitored and cared for by the Abu Dhabi Pearls Centre staff to ensure healthy growth. After two years, the pearls are harvested and cleaned with natural salt to reveal their lustre.
He noted that the centre's pearls are distinguished by their colour, size and degree of lustre.
"As for the classification of these pearls, it includes grades AAA -AA- A which are very high, high and medium. The quality is determined by the colour, size, strength, surface clarity and density of the pearl."
The festival acquainted visitors with the history of pearling, sustainable cultivation and the tools used in the process, he added.
Among a group of school students visiting the festival is Mohammad Al Hammadi. "I am very pleased to attend the Abu Dhabi Pearls Festival. It was a unique experience to see how pearls are cultivated and how to distinguish them. I really enjoyed the educational and entertaining workshops," he said.
