Gulf boats were used to transport goods from southern Mesopotamia (Sumer) to the Persian Gulf.
Gulf boats were larger and stronger than river boats because they needed to be able to withstand the currents and storms of the Persian Gulf.
The image is an ancient model of a gulf boat.
Gulf boats were made of reeds and other wood and covered in bitumen.
The image is a modern gulf boat that is similar to those used in ancient Mesopotamia.
The ancient Mesopotamians used gulf boats to travel to places like Dilmun, located near the modern island country of Bahrain. Bahrain (Dilumn) is marked on the map.
The Mesopotamians used river boats to carry:
barley
stone
wood which came from as far away as India
pearls that were used to make jewelry
carnelian, which is a mineral that is red or reddish-white in color, and was used to make jewelry
copper that was mixed with tin to make bronze; it came from Turkey, Iran, and the Persian Gulf
ivory which came from India or East Africa; it was carved to make small objects and to decorate furniture; ivory comes from elephant's tusks
textiles
reeds that were cut on riverbanks and woven into mats or bundles or put together into bundles to make boats and houses