Lying about 90 km (56 mi) northeast of Doha, it serves as a storage area and loading terminal for oil from the surrounding offshore fields.

[7] Until the middle of the 20th Century, the island was used as a shelter by sailors, fishermen and pearls divers during storms or just as a resting station during their long voyages.

The island lies 72 miles southeast of Ras Rakan,[10] and around 90 km (56 mi) northeast of the capital Doha.

With a distance of slightly more than 80 kilometers from the nearest point of mainland Qatar, which is Ra's Abū Qarn on the northeastern coast and in the municipality of Al Khor, it is also the most remote island of the country.

[13] Iron oxides such as hematite and ochre are found on the island, but have been left unexploited due to the high costs of extraction and transportation.

Volcanic rocks from the island were K–Ar dated in 1998, suggesting that the sediments were formed 33 million years ago.

[11] The exposed rocks on the island include dolomites composed of thin, laminae (possibly pseudomorphs after gypsum) and massive pink or purple anhydrites.

Upwards of 80 wild goats inhabit the hilly interior landscape, having expanded from a group of six animals first transported to the island in 1963.

Among the most important initiatives taken are the planting of 400 saline-resistant trees, such as mangroves, and the establishment of protected sea turtle nesting sites.

[5] As of 2015[update], run by Qatar Petroleum, the island accommodates 11 external floating roof tanks with an overall capacity of 5 million barrels of crude oil.