The Al Jalahmas, angered by the Al Khalifah clan's claim to sovereignty over Bahrain and feeling deprived of their rightful share of the spoils, move a few kilometers up the Qatari coast to establish Al Khuwayr.

They use this as a staging point for maritime raids against the shipping of the Al Khalifa and the Iranians.

Most of the Al Khalifa migrate to the more desirable location of Bahrain and establish a shaykhdom.

That they leave only a token presence in Az Zubarah means initially that the Al Jalahma branch can achieve ascendancy in Qatar, with their leader, Rahman ibn Jabir Al Jalahma, earning a reputation as one of the most feared raiders on the surrounding waters.

The British regard Sheikh Jabir as a leading pirate of the so-called Pirate Coast.

Because the Al Khalifa shift their trade connections to Bahrain, however, their departure also means that with the economic decline of Az Zubarah, the peninsula will return to its former status as a relative backwater.

At the close of the 18th century, Qatar's population consists of nomadic and settled Arabs and a significant proportion of slaves brought originally from East Africa.