Red Island in English, Al Jazeera Al Hamra was once a thriving centre, one of the regions important pearling centres. With the introduction of cultured pearls, the town was unable to survive the down turned economy. Eventually, everyone left, and by the 1970s it was completely abandoned.

What remains has been largely pillaged. Anything of value or interest carted off long ago.

We spent a few hours clambering through the haunting shells of a once-was-life, creating stories in our head for the rooms with traces of decoration.