It lies between the coasts of mainland Yemen and Eritrea, near the Bab-el-Mandeb straits which connect the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

Despite its proximity to the African continent, Zuqar Island is considered a part of Asia because it sits on the Asian continental shelf.

The island consists of a shield volcano overlain by basaltic pyroclastic cones and spatter cones which produced youthful-looking pahoehoe lava flows.

Several small coastal cones and islets surrounding Zuqar Island were formed by phreatic eruptions.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague settled the dispute in 1996, awarding the larger islands, including Zuqar, to Yemen.