pearl diving

KUWAIT: The advent of the Holy Month of Ramadan during the heat of the summer back in the old days was a matter that affected all aspects of life in Kuwait especially pearl diving. Seeking guidance from religious authorities in Egypt, Makkah, Baghdad, and Sham region, pearl divers back in the old days made sure that if they had to break the fast - they would only do so through the blessing of the scholars. In what was described as a ‘deal-breaker’, the reply from the scholars insisted that pearl divers should not break their fast during voyage in the vast ocean, a verdict which led Kuwaitis to work on their livelihood before Ramadan and after Eid Al-Fitr.

Speaking to KUNA, researcher Nawaf Al-Asfour said that one of the significant years in which Ramadan coincided with the summer was during the reign of the Amir Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah in 1912. That year was known as Sinat Al- Tafha (the year of the overflowing prosperity), said the researcher who indicated that pearl diving ships reached 812 with some 30,000 personnel. Al-Asfour said that earning for that period reached six million rupees. — KUNA