Oysters in the UAE

TRANSCRIPT
Oysters in the UAE

NARRATOR:
Oysters are a food people around the world eat on special occasions. But did you know they are now grown in the United Arab Emirates? Along the coast of Fujairah, Dibba Bay Oysters is the first oyster farm in the Middle East. Growing oysters in warm water is not common. Oysters usually need cold water. But these oysters are Pacific Cupped oysters. They can grow in both warm and cold waters. This is why they grow well in Fujairah’s hot waters. Even in the summer, when temperatures rise above 50 degrees Celsius, the oysters still grow.

The farm uses baskets that go under water. The baskets hold about one million oysters at a time. The oysters grow to full size in 12 to 18 months. In fact, because the water stays warm all year, the oysters grow faster than they do in colder places.

SOUNDBITE - Ramie Murray:
"They actually grow very well in the summer and their growth tails off in the winter, whereas here, they just grow continuously because we have the warm weather the whole year round."

NARRATOR:
The UAE is very dry and hot so most food comes from other countries. But delivering fresh food to chefs in just a few hours has made the Fujairah oysters very popular. 

SOUNDBITE - Ramie Murray:
“We take them out of the water in the morning, and then in the afternoon they're with the hotels, they're with the chefs, they're in the restaurant."

NARRATOR:
Chefs in Dubai were surprised at first. They thought oysters could only come from colder areas like Europe. 

SOUNDBITE - Carl Maunder:
"Someone came to me and said; 'Hey, have you heard of these local oysters?' And I was like; 'No.' And it was sort of out of the blue because, you know, this was in the summer time, it was very, very hot. And just the last thing I expected anybody to be producing or farming here in Dubai."

NARRATOR:
But now, Dibba Bay Oysters are on the menus of many restaurants in Dubai, including some of the best seafood spots. This local food is becoming a favourite for chefs and diners, bringing a unique taste of Fujairah to the table.