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Chapter Two

But with a fairly undisputed domination over Dhafrah, the tribe also
came to appreciate the economic opportunities which I he district’s
shallow coastline had in store. Maybe the reason why some of the
Bani Yas tribes took to the waters of the Gulf was I he one given by an
official of the Government of India sometime before 1056: “The larger
portion was composed of beduin residing in the interior, and lending
their flocks: but some few' individuals, reduced to poverty through
loss of their cattle, look up their abode on the shores of the Persian
Gulf.”02 There was, however, no permanent settlement on the coast
because of the lack of potable water. The pattern of life for many of
the Bani Yas sections changed considerably after some water was
discovered in 1761 on Abu Dhabi Island, which also happened to
have a sheltered anchorage, as good as any on the shallow coast
between Dubai and Khaur al 'Udaid. Within the course of two years a
village of some 400 houses sprang up on the island. This first
permanent settlement on the island developed rapidly, although the
shaikhs of the Bani Yas continued to reside in the interior for several
decades. The successors of Diyab bin Tsa Al Bu Falah, who died in
1793, made Abu Dhabi their place of residence and thus the capital of
the Bani Yas.
The Bani Yas seem to have gradually adapted their lives to make
the best possible use of the economic opportunities which the
country afforded. Many groups of the Bani Yas built themselves palm
frond houses near their date gardens in the LTwa as a permanent
abode. Others returned to their LTwa possessions only during the
date harvest. Their camels were taken to graze in the winter in
Dhafrah proper and Khatam, and even as far away as Qatar and al
Hasa. Most of the Bani Yas engaged in the seasonal pearling, and at
the beginning of the 20th century over 400 boats on the pearl banks
of the Gulf belonged to the Bani Yas. They sailed from Abu Dhabi and
its sheltered harbour of Batin03 as well as from other landing-places
on the shallow coast nearer to the LTwa. The many islands adjacent to
the coast of the shaikhdom of Abu Dhabi were also used in various
ways by the Bani Yas. Dalma, Sir Bani Yas, Ghaghah and a few
others have been permanently inhabited and served as supply
centres for the pearling communities. Other islands were used during
the winter to fish, dry the catch, collect guano, or even to graze camels
which were taken across by boat. A more detailed description of the
way in which the inhabitants of the shaikhdom of Abu Dhabi made
use of the resources of the coast and the hinterland will be given in

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