By Nidhi Chandran

Katara, the Cultural Village, launched its first book named Pearl Diving in Qatar recently at its premises. The book, in Arabic, documents the history of pearl diving in Qatar and highlights the importance and relevance it had on the economic, social, political and cultural development of the country.

During the launch, Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, General Manager of Katara, commented: “Documenting our heritage is a key objective at Katara. We preserve our culture and pass on the legacy to future generations. The pearl-diving era without a doubt is a significant milestone in Qatar’s heritage which contributes greatly to the current cultural development we are undergoing.”

The publication was made possible under the supervision of the President of Katara, Abdul Rahman Saleh al-Khulaifi and involved a five-member research team headed by Ali Shebeeb al-Mannai. “The production took more than a year with lot of work and research, and we are proud to be launching it today and more will follow soon,” added al-Sulaiti. There is also a plan to publish the book in English soon. He said five more publications on Qatari heritage and culture are in the pipeline.

The book, with a black and white photo of an oyster bearing a pearl as its cover photo, contains documentation of research and studies conducted on pearl diving in Qatar. It also reinforces how integral pearling was to the country’s history and culture, and the impact it had on shaping the community’s way of life as opposed to just being a source of livelihood.

One chapter is dedicated to the features and studies written in Qatari publications in the past, as well as anecdotes and reports written by travellers and Arab writers. The second part touches upon the social and cultural dimensions of this era and includes literature on pearl diving and biographies of divers who were involved in the work during that period. It also includes interviews conducted with past and present pearl divers and their comments.

The book is sure to take the readers to the bygone days of the peninsula with some old pearl diving photos explaining tough and demanding life of divers in the sea, images of traditional dhows, diving equipment, old beaches and traditional houses on the outskirts of Doha among others.

Towards the end, it brings a list of dhow names, pearl divers and a number of historical documents such as letters used to communicate between the workers, trade drafts and diving plans. The publication can be regarded as a treasure of information on pearl diving and as homage to the forefathers who have endured many hardships and paved the way for the economic and cultural prosperity of modern Qatar.

Around 2,000 copies of the book have been printed and will be available for free at Katara. It will also be distributed to ministries, other government entities across the country and will soon be seen in major libraries and book stores in Qatar.