The brother of Maktoum, who died of natural causes, Saeed inherited a small but thriving coastal community.
[1] Dubai's burgeoning pearl fishing fleet competed with those of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the other coastal towns and annual treaties were made between the Rulers and the British to safeguard the various fleets during the pearling season.
[3] The treaty effectively established a British protectorate on the Trucial Coast, the Rulers all agreeing to escalate any disputes or acts of aggression to the British Resident, who was resident in Sharjah,[4] or the 'Commodore at Bassidore' and submit to their judgement.
Despite agreeing treaties of maritime truce, the Trucial Sheikhs found relationships with the tribes of the interior often fractious and in 1857 men from the Sharjah dependency of Abu Hail attacked an encampment of Al Mazari (Mazrouei) tribesmen at Khawaneej.
In response to the raid, Sheikh Saeed bin Butti, with the help of Abu Dhabi, defeated Sharjah and a peace was negotiated in March 1857 with the assistance of the British Resident Agent.