Archaeologists located the remains of the oldest known pearl fishing town in the Persian Gulf on the island, identifying a major settlement of some 12 hectares, comprising a number of houses built of rock and lime mortar.

[7] The nature of the houses, some larger and more complex than numerous smaller homes, suggests social stratification and finds point to year-round settlement and a linkage to the nearby Christian monastery.

[7] The nearby settlements at Ed Dur and Tell Abraq have also yielded a number of finds that point to extensive regional and global trading links over the past 5,000 years.

[9] The government of Umm Al Quwain has announced a Dh2.47 billion development project[10] which will add major infrastructure, including leisure, hotel and residential properties to the island, which is currently uninhabited.

The project includes the construction of a two-way three-land bridge between the mainland and the island, which is an environmentally as well as archaeologically important site, being home to one of the largest remaining colonies of Socotra cormorants in the world.