According to this legend, Oudei had a servant who's small size caused her to be called Delima (meaning little animal skin).

Historical author and diplomat Leo Africanus wrote about the Oulad Delim in the 16th century:[6][7]The Oulad Dalim live in the Libyan desert together with the Zenaga, an African people; they neither have territory nor any provision, but are poor thieves who often travel to the province of Draa to barter animals for dates.

They are poorly equipped, numbering 10,000, with 400 on horseback and the rest on foot.In the second half of the 18th century, they forced the zawiya tribe Oulad Tidrarin to submit to their authority and pay the horma in exchange for protection.

Initially, they were rejected by the Izarguien who did not wish to upset the Reguibat but they made a pact with the Ait Lahcen in Tan-Tan.

Julio Cervera Baviera came across the Loudeikat fraction of the Oulad Delim describing them as "dedicating to marauding and theft, famous for their villainy and bloodthirsty instincts".

However, they gradually established a modus vivendi with the Spanish settlement in Dakhla with one of their chiefs signing an accord with Spain to collaborate with the traders there.

The Oulad Delim like other Sahrawi tribes saw the Spanish who at the time was too weak to expand deeper as less of a threat compared to the more powerful and expansive French colonial empire.

However, most Oulad Delim including those in the Spanish army and police force supported the Polisario Front when Spain did not give the Sahrawis self-determination like they promised.

[2][7] By the end of the 19th century, the Oulad Delim were divided into 5 fractions:[7] This article about an ethnic group in Africa is a stub.