Early history Ottoman records make the earliest known mention of Al Huwaila in 1555. The records state that, at that time, the Qatar Peninsula was ruled by Mohammed bin Sultan bani Muslim of the Al Musallam tribe and that he had his seat of power in Al Huwaila. Shortly after the founding of
Zubarah in the 1760s by the
Bani Utbah, the Al Musallam of Al Huwaila held nominal authority over that settlement and other northern settlements by taxing their residents. However, they were challenged by the
Al Khalifa, who constructed
Qal'at Murair in 1768 and began refusing to pay taxes. Following several successive skirmishes, the Al Khalifa launched a successful assault on Al Huwaila, leading to the flight of the Al Musallam leadership to
Najd.
Battle of Al Huwaila In the early 19th century, the settlement was the site of an internal conflict within the ruling
Al Khalifa family of
Bahrain. The incident, later known as the Battle of Al Huwaila, arose when three sons of Sheikh
Abdullah bin Ahmad Al Khalifa (Muhammad, Ahmed, and Ali) broke from their father and took up residence in Al Huwaila. Their mother belonged to the powerful
Al Bin Ali tribe, a prominent group in the region with considerable influence and resources. With the support of their maternal relatives, the three sons sought to challenge their father's authority and assert political autonomy. Sheikh Abdullah attempted to resolve the matter peacefully, warning his sons of the dangers of rebellion; however, his appeals were rejected. In response, Sheikh Abdullah instructed his nephew, Muhammad bin Khalifa bin Salman, to organize a military expedition against the dissident faction. Around 1820, Muhammad led a naval force from Bahrain and launched an attack on Al Huwaila. Following intense fighting, Sheikh Abdullah's sons were defeated and surrendered. They later sought their father's forgiveness, which was granted, and they returned to Bahrain. The incident forced Sheikh Abdullah to abandon a planned campaign toward
Qatif and contributed to the loss of strategic territories such as
Saihat. He recorded the following notes about Al Huwaila, which he referred to as
Al Owhale: A survey conducted by the
British Hydrographic Office in 1890 reflects on Al Huwaila's drastic decline during the mid-19th century, describing the town as such:
20th century John Gordon Lorimer mentions Al Huwaila in his 1908 manuscript of the
Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, stating: ==Gallery==