The magic of the story from the "heart of the Emirates" at the "Expo Dubai"

"Abu Ahmad" Al-Nokhatha... 50 years of diving, fishing and net-weaving

• The pearl fishing mission lasted 4 months annually.

  From the source

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He spent more than 50 years at sea, since he was seven years old, when he went out for the first time with his father to discover this majestic world, and test his arts, from fishing to diving, up to the manufacture of equipment and tools required by his profession, such as spinning fishing nets and making gargoyles. .

The story has magic when its owner is Al-Nokhatha Saleh Ahmed Muhammad Hanbaloh Al-Shehhi (Abu Ahmed), who was surrounded by dozens of visitors as he told “Emirates Today” from inside the “core” pavilion at “Expo 2020 Dubai” how the journey began, and the size of the horrors and hardships faced by the grandparents To achieve what the UAE has achieved in terms of progress and modernity, expressing his pride in the country's youth who have proven superiority in various fields.

(Abu Ahmed) says that “his story with the sea extends for more than 50 years, as he inherited it from his father, and the latter inherited it from his grandfather, and everyone in the house mastered with every skill the manufacture of fishing equipment and tools, such as nets (lakh) and fish ambushes (garaqir), and others.”

He practically explains to the visitors, especially the national families who exchange greetings with him with love and warmth, how to make “lech” using three types of yarn, Indian, Japanese and Chinese, indicating that “this is an ancient marine craft inherited from parents and grandparents thousands of years ago, when it was not as easy as it is characterized by currently have it.”

He points out that "the lych was spinning from strong nylon threads, and ropes were made of palm fronds to tie the net and fix it in wooden pieces and throw it into the sea for a while, then pull it out and rid the caught fish."

(Abu Ahmed) added that "the fishing profession required a struggle, and there was no room for laziness or slackness, because it was the main source of livelihood for its people, and the proceeds were sold for a few rupees."

He confirms that he is present with the rest of the participants in the "Sameem" pavilion to tell the young people how they used to live in the past. "This is a heritage full of struggle that the state is proud of, and it is well aware that the achievements it has achieved in just 50 years were not the result of chance, but of race and struggle."

(Abu Ahmed) says that “the sea has a special place in the soul of every Emirati, so you find everyone, regardless of their social status, practicing a marine activity,” noting that he still practices the fishing profession with the same passion, and is very happy with the interest of young people in his many stories about the sea.

He continues that "the ancestors have been practicing the pearl diving profession for decades, and enjoyed amazing experiences in this field," noting that this difficult task lasted four months annually, during the spring, and the Gulf waters represented an ideal environment for pearling by professional divers who were performing This is done without the use of modern diving equipment.

In a charming poetic style, he describes the nature of the arduous diving journey, as there is a whole team in which each member knows his role. In addition to the professional divers, the children are in charge of the “oyster falaj” while others are responsible for providing and preparing food.

And before the ship sets off, its crew gathers on the first day on the shore, their families and relatives bid them farewell, and mothers embrace their children crying, praying that they return safely.

On the last day of the season, fires are launched on the shore and the necessary preparations are made to receive the sailors to celebrate their return. Houses are decorated with cloth flags called “Al-Bairaq” or “Bandira”, and special dishes are prepared, including sweets, juices and nuts.

Once the ships reach the shores, the diving crew is greeted with cheers, and then the sailors chant their own chants.

He explains the nature of each ship whose models were displayed in the "Sameem" pavilion, explaining that "each has a name and nature, some of which are dedicated to fishing or diving, and some are dedicated to trade.

All of them are rooted in the Emirati heritage.”

(Abu Ahmed) confirms that the fun was present in all the details, and when he sees this human diversity and the state’s embrace of about 200 nationalities on its land, he realizes that the efforts of the ancestors were not in vain. And that in just 50 years.”

• (Abu Ahmed) attracts visitors with his skill in spinning “Al-Leikh”, and narrates the adventures of the past in poetic language.