KUWAIT: On Saturday, the "dasha” (departure) ceremony of the 33rd annual pearl diving memorial trip will take place, organized by the marine heritage committee at Kuwait Sea Sports Club. The event will be held from Aug 10 to 15 under the patronage of HH the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
Kuwait Sea Sports Club has invited the general public and the families of the participating youth to attend the dasha ceremony, which will be held on the club’s coast in Salmiya at 8:30 am. The ceremony includes the gathering of ships’ captains (nokhathas) and young divers in front of an honorary platform, accompanied by a traditional maritime performance. This will be followed by the national anthem, after which the organizing committee, the young divers, and the nokhatha, along with their crew (majdamiya and bahria), will bid farewell to the attendees and their families on the beach.
They will then proceed to the diving ships to depart for the diving port in the Khairan, where the ships will gather throughout the journey, which will last until Thursday. During this period, the youth will engage in actual diving activities in the Khairan reefs, which are known for their pearl oysters.
The club’s Secretary-General Khaled Mohammed Al-Foudari mentioned that around 150 young Kuwaitis, aged between 15 and 20, will participate in this journey, expressing their pride in the nation’s rich heritage and the sacrifices of the first generation of fathers and grandfathers. He added that four diving dhows, gifted by the late Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, will participate.
These ships, of the "sambook” and "shoue” types, are named after prominent nokhathas who made significant contributions to diving journeys, along with a ship named after Gulf Bank. These dhows will be led by young divers under the supervision of Nokhatha Hamad Al-Siyar, the general supervisor of the committee, with the participation of several committee members, including veteran historian and journey advisor Thamer Al-Siyar.
The rest of the activities will include a media day on Tuesday, where the press and media will visit the diving port to closely follow the journey. The journey will conclude with the "ghafal” (return) ceremony, which will be held at 5:30 pm on Thursday on the club’s coast. A grand celebration will mark the return of the diving ships, featuring traditional maritime performances, and families will welcome their sons back on the shore, as in the past.
Foudari praised the cooperation with the Public Authority for Sport, the ministry of interior, the ministry of health, the ministry of information, Kuwait Fire Force and all participating entities. He also expressed the club’s appreciation to Gulf Bank, Rawdatain Water Bottling Company, Kuwait Flour Mills & Bakeries Company, Kuwait International Fair Company and the press and media for their support and contribution to the success of the journey.