It received this name due to the coal mining operations that were historically based in the village.

Lorimer's Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Al Sakhama is reported as a town 5 miles west of Lusail typified by a 4-acre garden containing approximately 300 date palms in 1908.

The garden, which was said to have been established by Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, is described as being enclosed by a mud wall and surrounded on all sides by rows of tamarix trees.

[5] Lorimer noted that it appeared to be one of the only seven sizable date palm plantations in Qatar.

Although the village was typified by a rawda (or depression) where small amounts of water would collect, and also had masonry wells constructed in its vicinity, the water was high in salinity; thus the vegetation could not be sustained without costly irrigation mechanisms.