Budaiya 5.43

Al Budaiya is a coastal town located in the northwestern region of Bahrain Island, in the Northern Governorate of the Kingdom of Bahrain. It neighbors the villages of Diraz and Bani Jamra.HistoryThe town was founded by the Dawasir tribe, but most of the tribe left en masse to mainland Saudi Arabia in 1923, after a conflict with the British colonial authorities. Many Dawasir tribe members later returned to Budaiya, with some still living in the village today. Prior to the discovery of oil in Bahrain, most Budaiya residents were involved in the pearl diving and fishing industry.According to the Gazetteer of Arabia in 1917, Budaiya consisted of three distinct quarters; Fariq-al Amarah, Fariq-al Dam (located on Ras-Budaiya) and Fariq-al Budaiya (the oldest quarter). The town had considerable numbers of stone houses and reed huts. The estimated population was 8,000 and were thought to be all adherents of Sunni Islam; 800 houses belonged to the Dawasir tribe, 100 to the Amarah tribe, 50 to the Huwala, 200 to "free negroes" and around 450 houses for black slaves. The port was home to more than 100 boats, over half of which were utilised for pearling. There were also 3 Qur'anic schools in the town. The internal affairs of the town was handled by the Shaikh of the Dawasir, without interference from the Shaikh of Bahrain.