The island of Awal, the pearl island of the Gulf, with its springs, palm gardens and the old town by the Suq al-Khamis mosque (Bilad al-Qadim).
It changed hands among the Uyunid cousins (Abd Allah ibn Mansur held it from 580/1184 with hired troops from Kish) and is raided by the lords of Kish, who want its pearl banks; on 1 January 1200 it is Muhammad ibn Ahmad's.
Who holds it
- Name
- Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Uyuni
- Title
- Emir
- Since
- see lord record
- Born
- not pinned
- Family
- not pinned
- Confidence
- medium
Arabic accounts after Ibn al-Muqarrab's diwan.
Lord in 1200
Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Uyuni, emir of Qatif and Awal
Overlord
Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Uyuni, emir of Qatif and Awal
How things stand that morning
Held by Muhammad ibn Ahmad; exposed to Kishi raids.
Wealth
Pearls, dates, fresh-water springs, shipping.
Threats
- Kishi raids
Council
The emir's deputy (not pinned) and the island's notables.
Communities
Arabs (Shi'i majority), merchants and pearl divers.
Fairs and markets
The summer pearl season.
Militia
Islanders and boatmen.
Walls and castle
Small forts; details not pinned.
Trade and crafts
Pearls, dates, fresh-water springs, shipping.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Uyunid tradition only.
Primary sources for Uyunids
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Dictionary of Countries, Yaqut al-Hamawi (1224 to 1228, at Aleppo). An alphabetical gazetteer of every place Yaqut had read of or seen: he travelled as a bookseller's agent through Syria, Iraq, Persia, Khurasan and Khwarazm (about 1213 to 1220) and settled in Aleppo. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.