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The Diving Village at Al Shindagha, Dubai, offers a glimpse of the UAE's past when the population along the coast relied on fishing and pearling as a means of earning a living. To inform visitors about the bountiful marine life in UAE waters, a fish market is available with a variety of tasty delights.
All the fish are displayed in aquariums, and several varieties are for sale, so if you fancy fresh fish for dinner, you can buy it on the spot!
Hammour, lobster and crayfish are available, and you can tell the vendor exactly which one you want. The most popular is the hammour, which sells for Dh45 per kg, and an average of six are sold per week. Live lobsters are sold for Dh165 per kg and crayfish for Dh85 per kg.
Unfortunately however, nobody has bought a lobster since the Shopping Festival started, said Anas Ahmad, one of the organisers, when we visited.
Fun loving
Abdullah Abdulrahman's four young children enjoyed watching the fish as they swam about.
"It is important for our children to understand their heritage and to learn about our traditions, and I am glad that they also enjoyed themselves at the same time," said Umm Ali.
Exotic fish on display include abu shareeh (pennant butterfly), bedha (long tail silver biddy) and naqrour (silver grunt), and the aquariums are restocked every week with different species, so you can always be surprised.
Pearl opening
If you see fishermen standing in the courtyard surrounded by oysters, pay them a visit as they hold the key to wonderful surprises.
For Dh10 you can get ten oysters and the fisherman will open them for you. And if you are fortunate enough to come across a pearl, you get to keep it.
Long before the discovery of oil, the pearling industry provided the only real source of income, but it required a great deal of skill as divers had to swim almost 40 metres beneath the surface to reach the oyster beds.
"I don't like oysters, so it would be a shame if I spoiled it for those who do. This is the first time my sister and her children are in Dubai, and they are so amazed at everything they see during the festival, there are so many things for them to do," said Donelda McKechnie, from Canada, who was showing her family around the city.
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