The first farm of artificial pearls to open in the UAE

Guests at the pearl farm in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah will be able to learn about the rich history of the country.

The first Suwaidi Cultured Pearl farm in the Persian Gulf, founded in 2004, will open its doors to visitors by January 2018 in Al Rams, emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.

Guests wearing wetsuits and helmets can dive into the water to catch oysters on their own and find the treasure inside. The tour will also tell visitors about the rich history of pearl hunting in the region.

Abdullah Al Suwaydi founded a farm to preserve the heritage of his ancestors. His grandfather was one of the last pearl hunters in the UAE before the discovery of oil and the invention of artificial pearl production technology.

"The plan is to turn the farm into a tourist attraction and a place to enrich the knowledge of our future generations, where they can learn about the unique history of pearls in the country and how we produce pearls today," Al Suwaydi said.

He also said that the quality of the emirate's pearls attracted the attention of famous jewelry designers such as Sarah Ho and Mouawad.

It takes 5 to 20 years for pearls to form naturally, depending on size, and it takes only a year to grow it artificially.

Four thousand square meters of farm produce 40 thousand oysters annually with a 60 percent success rate. Only 10 percent of pearls receive the highest quality status.

“Ninety percent of the pearls on the market are produced artificially, and our goal is to provide the market with 40 thousand pearls, our famous gulf treasures, per year,” said Abdullah Al Suwaydi.

Suwaidi Pearls is going to create five large farms - from the Red Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Al Suwaydi noted that water quality is fundamental to farm efficiency.

“We have a clean and protected environment at Al Rams, which is considered one of the main elements that play a fundamental role in growing pearls. Fresh mountain water and weather also play an important role,” he added.

Watch the video: Arabian Pearl. Al Suwaidi Farm (March 2024).