Historical Maritime Occupations in Saudi Arabia
Historical maritime occupations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are the maritime sector occupations that arose and developed within the ways of living in the coastal regions of Saudi Arabia in ancient times. They are referred to as historical professions as part of the history of Saudi professions and crafts practiced and inherited by the inhabitants of the coastal regions of Saudi Arabia, and they differed from one region to another depending on the geographical and residential nature of each of those regions, and some of these professions intersect in terms of resources and differ in terms of roles, including ship and boat building, diving, fishing, and kalajiya.
Diving seasons in historical maritime Occupations
The diving seasons, for which divers waited and prepared their equipment, were known as four seasons: The cold dive, the big dive, the Redda dive, and the Majna dive. Their beginning and end were calculated according to the Gregorian calendar.
The cold dive starts from mid-April to the end of May with a duration of forty days, the big dive starts from mid-May to mid-September and lasts about four months, and the Redda season lasts three weeks, starting from September 20 to mid-October, and the Majna season is the season that comes in winter or spring, in which sea shells are spread on the coasts in the process of sea tides, and divers work to capture them in the process of tides.
As for the number of sailors in large and small ships, the number varies according to the type of ship, and reaches about sixty sailors in a large ship, and about twenty sailors in a small ship.
Fishermen used several methods to catch fish, such as the net, which is a woven piece of cotton with small holes and the ends of which contain stones attached to them, the hudra, a house made of palm leaves on the sea coasts to gather and trap fish during the tide, the circular net made of wire called qarqur, in addition to the hook that has a bait on the end of its line, known as a haddock.
Historical maritime occupations in western Saudi Arabia
Traditional maritime occupations in western Saudi Arabia varied due to the coastal nature around them, including: Fishing and diving, boat builders, mazawiriya, sail makers, karaniya, navigators, and al-safriyah or ship captains.
Even before the availability of ships and boats, residents of the region were engaged in fishing, practicing this work on six-foot-long wooden pieces tied with ropes, sailing from the shores to the sea in search of their catch, using poles for rowing.
Some coastal areas in western Saudi Arabia, such as Jeddah and Al-Qunfudhah governorates, have been known to engage in maritime professions, such as shipbuilding and boatbuilding, where craftsmen build and equip boats.
Mazawariya, or as they are called "zama," were a group of workers who took goods and merchandise from arriving commercial ships and delivered them to the port. As for the sail makers, their work involved preparing and producing the sails used on the ships.
As for the profession of al-karāniyyah, their work was largely administrative and numerical, as they recorded the quantity of goods arriving at the port and the names of those who brought them, along with the merchants and their merchandise. Navigators guided incoming ships to the harbor to prevent them from colliding with coral reefs.
Some sailors, called safariya or rabbaniya, specialized in transporting pilgrims and commercial goods in their dhows from Jeddah to other ports, while those working in the profession of kalajiya were tasked with monitoring and guarding customs and the port.
Historical maritime occupations in eastern Saudi Arabia
Maritime occupations in eastern Saudi Arabia were a source of livelihood for some residents, including: Diving, pearl trading, and shipbuilding. Diving to extract pearls was one of the most prominent professions that was very lucrative for those who worked in it.
Workers on the ship were divided into several tasks, including the ship's captain, the diver, the sayyib, and al-radif. The ship's captain is known as the "nukhdah" and is the manager responsible for the ship, sailors, keeping and selling the pearls extracted by the diver, and he has a 20% share of the pearl collection.
The diver is responsible for diving into the sea to search for and collect pearls, receiving a high share of the yield, usually 40%. It is known that the diver needs an assistant or supervisor to accompany him during the dive, a sailor called the sayyib, who receives 30% of the yield.
The service of attending to the sailors, ensuring their comfort, and bringing them food and drink was provided by the al-radif, who received 10% of the yield. A person learning to dive, called the al-tabab, could accompany the ship’s crew, while another, known as the al-nahham, entertained them by singing and reciting traditional songs.
The profession of pearl trading was practiced by the residents of the Eastern Province through buying and selling. After the pearls were harvested and sorted into large, medium, and small sizes, they were sold to a merchant known as Al-Tawwash.
Another profession in eastern Saudi Arabia is "Al-Qalafa", which is the manufacture of ships, and their manufacture and design vary according to their use, as they were made for several purposes such as transportation, trade, fishing, diving, and travel, and the owners of the profession use some tools in the industry: Wood of all kinds, nails, cotton, material for painting the ship, and fabrics for making sails.
The Eastern Province was renowned for building various types of ships, such as the jalboot, al-shu‘ay, al-bateel, and al-baqarah, which were used for diving. Ships used for transportation included the boom and saffar, while fishing vessels included the lunj, al-huri, and al-warjiyyah.
Historical maritime occupations in southern Saudi Arabia
Most coastal areas of Saudi Arabia were involved in practicing various maritime professions. In the Jazan region, residents worked in building ships and boats, a craft passed down from fathers to sons and carefully preserved. They replaced the traditional wood used in construction with iron and handled the design themselves. Fishermen relied on these craftsmen to build boats that suited their fishing needs and allowed them to go out to sea. Over time, the profession developed further, and the craftsmen established factories to produce and manufacture ships.
Wooden boats were also built on Farasan Island, part of the Jazan region. At that time, this profession spread because it was considered an important means of obtaining fish, supporting livelihoods and the local economy through fishing trips on these boats.
This historical profession is still passed down in Jazan, but the methods and materials used in building boats and vessels have evolved. Practitioners have become skilled, able to produce them within a few days, thanks to learning and practice.
Historical maritime occupations in northern Saudi Arabia
Some traditional maritime professions spread in the Tabuk region, similar to other coastal areas of Saudi Arabia. These included guiding incoming ships to the port, various maritime industries, and fishing. Some residents of the areas of Al-Wajh, Haql, and Duba still practice these professions, but on a limited scale.
As a profession practiced in the open air, historical maritime occupations face a number of challenges, as sailors are exposed to natural phenomena and obstacles that disrupt their maritime work, such as: Wind gusts and rough seas that can capsize ships and throw sailors far away, as well as the dangers of fish such as sharks.
Divers would enter the sea in the morning and remain until late afternoon, collecting oysters from the depths. Before diving, they would place beeswax or wool in their ears to prevent water from entering, using materials readily available at the time. The diver would tie a rope around his waist, and when he finished collecting, he would tug it to alert his assistant, who would then pull him up. The duration of each dive depended on the diver’s ability to stay underwater, and the number of dives was determined by the weather: under normal conditions, a diver could make around fifty dives, while in cold weather, only twenty dives were completed.