The fishing industry is not notable for its luxuries. Out in the elements, the hours are long and the work can be physically exhausting. We went along to the fish souk in Al Meena to find out how what daily life is like and met Hisham, who tested our knowledge of sea life. He laughed as Time Out mistook a barrel of hammour for something less prestigious. ‘That’s Abu Dhabi’s favourite fish,’ he says. ‘Dhs45 per kilo. People want it the most.’
As the sun comes up, the men move their fish from the dockside into the icy marketplace, where the smell is almost overwhelming. The fish needs to be inside by about 7.30am, before the open air gets too warm. Anything that makes it this far will sell throughout the day, until about 5pm. Much of it has already been sold at mezad (morning free market), however, which starts at 4.30am and peters out three hours later. Hisham tells us that people attending this morning’s mezad have travelled from as far away as Oman, and customers from Dubai and Fujairah are regular faces. By 6am, the fishermen are scrubbing their boats. Job done, they traipse off to find some rest.
One kind Emirati gentleman tells us that he worked the fishing boats for more than 45 years, from the age of 10. ‘The bigger boats can go out for as long as five days, and it can be a 24-hour job,’ he says, pausing for effect, and then adds with a grin, ‘at least they have air conditioning. When I was a boy fisherman, we had none of that. Abu Dhabi was a very different place.’
