[4] Al-Mahmoud's debut novel was a naval history book entitled Al Qursan, originally released in August 2011.

[1] The book's plot revolved around British politics and piracy in the Persian Gulf region during the 19th century, with the central figure being the Arab pirate Rahmah ibn Jabir al-Jalahimah.

[2] He states that his interest in the Persian Gulf's naval history and the political ramifications of piracy began in 1996 when he discovered a library in Lincolnshire, UK containing old British manuscripts.

[3] A nineteenth-century book called Coast of Pirates ultimately prompted him to begin researching the Persian Gulf's history.

[9] The novel is thematically romantic and the plot concerns a young woman who falls in love with an Arab tribal leader.