On UAE's glittering coast, pearl trade tradition brought back from the deep

RAS AL-KHAIMAH, United Arab Emirates - Before the discovery of oil transformed the Persian Gulf into one of the world's wealthiest regions, the fortunes of its people depended on pearling - a tradition that Abdullah al-Suwaidi hopes to revive.

Many Emirati families can trace their ancestry to a time when they were involved in the pearl trade, which served as the foundation of their modern-day wealth.

Although diving for the treasures is no longer necessary in an era where pearls can be cultured, Suwaidi said that after the death of his grandfather he felt "socially, culturally and historically" responsible for passing the knowledge on.