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A documentary on the kingdom’s rich pearl diving past is being made by a Bahraini-born enthusiast who believes he has secured a living history of a golden age at risk of being lost forever.
During the peak of the industry, at the beginning of the 19th Century, around 30,000 Bahrainis were involved in finding the precious gems.
Robert Gregory, 56, of Sanabis, has spent more than 35 years researching the subject and is now set to complete a National Geographic TV channel documentary by October.
He said: “Throughout history there have been a zillion instances where there is reference of pearls – and specifically the Bahraini pearl which is one of the most precious discoveries of mankind in my opinion.”
Born to British parents at the oil giant Bapco compound, he became passionate about pearls as a child after he was invited on a fishing trip with a Bahraini boy in his friend’s family dhow.
Mr Gregory has uncovered a whole host of songs once sang by the divers during their time at sea which provides a precious record of their many adventures.
He has also travelled across three continents to investigate and gather further evidence of Bahrain’s claim to the title of the Island of Pearls.
