ABSTRACT
153The Upper Gulf seacoast has historically had an economy based on maritime life. Bahrain, Qaṭīf (Saudi Arabia), and possibly segments of today’s Qatar were part of ancient Dilmun, a major entrepôt that exported, along with dates and palm fruit, the luminous pearls of the Gulf. Kuwait, which has the finest harbor in the region, was a historical trading port between Mesopotamia and India.
