KUWAIT, July 18 (KUNA) -- Under the auspices of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and in order to preserve and revive Kuwait's pre-oil heritage, the 19th pearl diving reincarnation trip will be held from August 1-9.
The trip; organized by Kuwaiti Marine Sporting Club, has already began when 200 young men, using traditional boats and equipment prepared for the annually-celebrated event, started training on diving techniques in June and July, a Club's statement said Wednesday.
Starting next week, and following traditional arrangements, ships and dhows would be beached along the shore and their cracks would be caulked with cotton dipped in shark oil. Then, a thick coating of noora (a mixture of shark oil and powder) would be manually-smeared over the hull, up to the water line, the statement added.
The Club would arrange a field trip for media reporters to diving sites, in order to document the event, the statement said, adding that the Club would also provide brochures on the trip and its activities.
Such festivals are held yearly to help current generation experience the excitement and hardship their forefathers faced, whereas the young divers make extensive preparations for the event by training rigorously in diving and sailing, meeting experienced skippers (Nokhithas) and old divers who; on their part, explain the intricacies of pearl diving, as the young divers familiarize themselves with the equipment.
