Dubai
Dubai’s pearl industry to shine again
(eTN) - Nowadays Dubai is known as the miracle economy of the Persian Gulf, managing to turn its oil wealth into a diverse economy.
Less than a century ago, however, the Gulf was home to some of the best pearls in the world, due to the formation of the seabed, the temperature and shallowness of the water.
Some 80,000 men were involved in pearling in the UAE alone and the sale of pearls represented 95 percent of the country's revenues. It is this heritage that Dubai’s Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) plans to present in the new Dubai Pearl Museum, which will house special types of pearls from various regions.
The new museum will be the second one in the Emirate. The current pearl museum is located in the National Bank of Dubai (NBD) headquarters in Deira. The first museum was established when NBD's founder-chairman, Sultan Al Owais, one of Dubai's most important pearl merchants, poets and philanthropists, donated his pearl collection.
The plans for the museum are being presented in conjunction with the establishment of a Dubai Pearl Exchange in mid-April, which aims to re-establish Dubai as a global center for pearl trading.
The two centers will be located on "Antarctica" at The World, a man-made island cluster on the Dubai coastline, as part of the approximately 7000-square meter Pearl of Arabia cultural heritage center, which will also include a performing arts theater, an exhibition gallery and restaurants, alongside boutiques to be run by top pearl fashion houses.
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