The tribe was embroiled in conflict in 1824, when members of a dissident faction of Sudan in Sharjah built a tower in
Deira, then a part of Sharjah, encouraged by
Tahnun bin Shakhbut Al Nahyan. Tahnun was himself jostling with
Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi for control over
Buraimi and Sultan had built two towers there. An attempt to arbitrate in the dispute by the British Residency agent in 1824 failed when Sultan sent a force against the Deira fort, expelling the Sudan. The move led to the failure of either Abu Dhabi or Sharjah to send boats to the pearling in 1825, a grave economic shock to both. However, in 1829, the area of
Deira, on the opposite side to the
creek to Dubai, was settled by some 400 Sudan who had left Sharjah in 1826 following an argument with the ruler,
Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi. Sheikh
Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan's mother was a Suwaidi. He married the daughter of the Sheikh of the Sudan, Sultan bin Nasir Al Suwaidi. It was with the Sudan that Zayed conceived the idea of establishing a fort at Al Zorah in Ajman in 1895, to consolidate and build a
bridgehead into the northern emirates. In 1897, a section of the Sudan under Sultan bin Nasser requested permission to settle Al Zorah with the support of Zayed, which was granted by the
British Resident. In 1927, the Marar and Sudan tribes in Sharjah were in conflict, the Marar having left Dubai in 1891 to settle in the outlying Sharjah town (now a suburb of the city) of
Layyah. In January 1927, 150 members of the Marar tribe left to settle in Deira where the area of Marar still bears their name. The support of both the Marar and Sudan of Deira would be crucial to
Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum during the settlement of the
Majlis affair of 1939. The Sudan often played a key role in Abu Dhabi political affairs, with Sheikh Ahmad bin Khalifah Al Suwaidi in 1928 leading the opposition to
Shakhbut bin Sultan as ruler, when this was proposed to the family and leading notables, supporting Hazza bin Sultan instead. == The Sudan in Qatar ==