Fresh twist for UAE diners as oysters thrive in warm waters

FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates – The waters of the Persian Gulf have long been home to pearl oysters, providing a valuable mainstay to the Arab tribes that subsisted off its trade before the discovery of oil pumped new life into the Arabian Peninsula.

Now, off the shores of the United Arab Emirates, a new type of oyster is thriving — the edible kind. Long thought of as a cold water delicacy, edible oysters are being farmed in the warm waters of Fujairah, an emirate with a coastline that juts out into the Gulf of Oman.

The local delicacy has made its way to tables in 12 different restaurants in Dubai, a cosmopolitan emirate east of Fujairah that is home to some of the Middle East's top-rated restaurants serving international tourists and residents.