Treasures and tradition - find out how pearl diving in Dubai still uses traditional methods

Over 7,000 years ago there were only a few brave people that decided to settle in this tough but mesmerizing landscape. But on the seabed of this Arabian peninsula there was a bounty to be found, the elusive pearl. I'm here with Major Ali on a traditional pearl diving boat just off the coast of Dubai. Major, your father and your grandfather have been pearl divers, how important is it to keep that tradition alive? Yeah for me it's very important really to keep this traditional because I want to pass it you know to a new generation and I want them to know how our grandfather and how our father is suffering you know to do this very difficult job you know especially to dive 20 meters, 30 meters. You see before in Dubai like we have 400 boats and they go for three months you know to do pearl diving. Most of them then they will be on the sea for three months and this is how they get you know their money and they get how to take care about their family and that's the only way in Dubai. That's why everybody's going pearl diving. And I'm just looking in front of me here we see, can you explain what the purpose of this is? Yes this is you see we call it al hasa in rocks and this is take you down and you put your feet here and you hold it you see this rope is made from palm tree yeah this rope should be collected with the with the we call it this wood. When you go down you release it because you have another one which we call it you know the yida and yida you will put in your neck and you will put oyster. That's where you put your treasure. Yeah when you want to come out you just pull and the guy he will So do you think I have what it takes to find the pearl today? Yes if you find it's for you. I like the sound of that. After receiving my final instructions I plugged my nose and I dived right in. Yes you find some. Very good. Yeah this is very good oyster. I can't see. Also for the lunch. Yeah let's try it with goggles. Okay now if you go this side you will find more oyster. Well good luck. Yes you found it. Good job. I tell you you are the best divers now. So you can see where we open it from this side not this side. This is this is the the right you know place where you put and open. Ah yes. Small one. There we go. My first pearl. Another one. What makes a pearl more valuable? The size and the color. You see if you have pink and big one oh that's pink. It's the best one. We call it G1. And how are they graded to space? They grade it you know from the size and from the color. Also we have like we call it Tuas. You put the big one stay and the small one going down. Like a filter to see which size it is. Yeah another one yes. Yeah. Yes. See some place you can find in each one. I cannot imagine doing that all day every day for three months. It's exhausting. 300 times a day. 300 times a day. So this has been a great experience pearl diving. I didn't think it would be as much fun as it was. I'd like to thank Major Ali for helping me find four pearls. Not bad for a first time but still a long way to go from the professionals.