Al Budaiya ( ar, البديع) is a coastal town located in the northwestern region of
Bahrain Island
Bahrain Island ( ar, جزيرة البحرين ''Jazīrah al-Baḥrayn''), also known as al-Awal Island and formerly as Bahrein, is the largest island within the archipelago of Bahrain, and forms the bulk of the country's land mass while hosting ...
, in the
Northern Governorate
The Northern Governorate ( ar, المحافظة الشمالية , translit=Al-Muḥāfaẓat aš-Šamālīyah) is one of the four governorates of Bahrain. It includes parts of the former municipalities of Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mint ...
of the Kingdom of
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
. It neighbors the villages of
Diraz
Diraz,( ar, الدراز, also spelled Duraz) is the biggest and most populated village on the northwest coast of Bahrain. It lies to the east of Budaiya, west of Barbar and north of Bani Jamra. Two Dilmun era archaeological sites, namely Diraz ...
and
Bani Jamra.
History
The town was founded by the
Dawasiri tribe, but most of the tribe left en masse to mainland
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
in 1923, after
conflict emerged with the British colonial authorities. Many Dawasir tribe members later returned to Budaiya, with some still living in the village today. Prior to the
discovery of oil in Bahrain, most Budaiya residents were involved in the
pearl diving
Pearl hunting, also known as pearling, is the activity of recovering pearls from wild molluscs, usually oysters or mussels, in the sea or freshwater. Pearl hunting was prevalent in the Persian Gulf region and Japan for thousands of years. On t ...
and fishing industry.
According to the
Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia
The ''Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia'' (nicknamed ''Lorimer'') is a two-volume encyclopedia compiled by John Gordon Lorimer. The ''Gazetteer'' was published in secret by the British government in India in 1908 and 1915 a ...
in 1917, Budaiya village was made up of three distinct quarters; Fariq-al Amarah, Fariq-al Dam (located on Ras-Budaiya) and Fariq-al Budaiya (the oldest quarter). The town had considerable numbers of stone houses and
reed
Reed or Reeds may refer to:
Science, technology, biology, and medicine
* Reed bird (disambiguation)
* Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times
* Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales
* ...
huts.
[ The estimated population was 8,000 and were thought to be all adherents of Sunni Islam; 800 houses belonged to the Dawasir tribe, 100 to the Amarah tribe, 50 to the Huwala, 200 to " free negroes" and around 450 houses for black slaves. The port was home to more than 100 boats, over half of which were utilised for pearling. There were also 3 Qur'anic schools in the town. The internal affairs of the town was handled by the Shaikh of the Dawasir, without interference from the Shaikh of Bahrain.]['Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. I' 49(468/1050), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/16/2/1, in Qatar Digital Library ccessed 29 October 2016/ref>
]
Geography
Budaiya traditionally received its water supply from wells in the adjacent date plantations in the villages of Diraz and Bani Jamra respectively.[ It is now the location of most farms, stables, and traditional gulf family farms/retreats ]nakhal
Nakhal ( ar, نَخَل) or Nakhl ( ar, نَخْل) is a wilayah in Al Batinah South Governorate in Oman. It is home to many old castles and forts, including the Nakhal Fort.
Notable people
* Abdullah Al Hilali
Abdullah Al Hilali (born Jan ...
. The town serves as one end-point of the Budaiya Road, which runs to Manama
Manama ( ar, المنامة ', Bahrani pronunciation: ) is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 200,000 people as of 2020. Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very di ...
. The regions on either side of road are colloquially referred to as Budaiya.
The biggest problem the Budaiya Road region is facing is deforestation
Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated ...
due to a waves of construction, and the seeping of sea water into natural underground aquifers
An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers vary greatly in their characterist ...
as a result of the pre-construction building process of the Mina Salman seaport in the 1950s. Budaiya Road is still remembered as one of the only "naturally shaded" parts of Bahrain where thousands of wild palm trees acted as filters from the hot, glaring desert sun. Most of the trees were cut down to expand the route and 'modernize' the area.
References
Further reading
* Fuad Ishaq Khuri (1980). ''Tribe and state in Bahrain: The transformation of social and political authority in an Arab state''.
External links
B
Populated coastal places in Bahrain
{{Bahrain-geo-stub