Abu Dhabi's first Pearls Festival  seeks to revive a lost tradition for a new generation

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has announced the launch of the Abu Dhabi Pearls Festival, a week-long event celebrating the emirate’s rich maritime heritage and pearl-diving traditions.

Scheduled to take place from January 17 to 23, 2025, the festival will be held at the Abu Dhabi Pearls Centre in Al Mirfa City.

The event aims to honor Abu Dhabi’s connection to its marine environment and its historic pearl industry, bridging the past and present to pass on knowledge to future generations. Visitors will have the chance to explore the Abu Dhabi Pearls Centre, a regional facility established in 2007 to promote sustainable aquaculture of local oysters while preserving the emirate’s pearl-diving traditions.

The festival will feature a variety of interactive educational and entertainment activities, along with heritage workshops that highlight the emirate’s deeply rooted maritime and pearl-diving traditions.

Ahmed Al Hashemi, Executive Director of Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity Sector at EAD, emphasized the importance of the festival in promoting ecotourism and raising awareness about Abu Dhabi’s heritage. “We are pleased to launch the Abu Dhabi Pearls Festival, which supports the emirate’s vision to promote ecotourism and raise public awareness about the pivotal role played by the Abu Dhabi Pearls Centre – the first of its kind in the region,” he said.

He said that the centre focuses on four main pillars: awareness and education, marketing, studies and research, and ecotourism. He added that their goal is to establish the Abu Dhabi Pearls Centre as a leading ecotourism destination in the region while adopting the latest technologies and innovations to sustainably farm pearls.

As part of the festival, engaging sessions will feature experts from the UAE and other Gulf countries with experience in diving, pearls, and marine heritage. The sessions will explore traditional diving methods, the evolution of the pearl industry, and the various types of pearls found in the Gulf, while also discussing ways to educate younger generations about this ancient craft.