Doha, the main city of Qatar, has been the capital of an independent country since September 1971. After Ottoman sovereignty in the 19th century followed by the British protectorate (1916-1970), the young Qatari State has undergone spectacular urban development since the discovery of gigantic natural gas reserves at the end of the 20th century. Historically, Doha was built around Al Bida’a, the fishing and pearl port founded in the 19th century to the north-west of the contemporary city by Sudanese fleeing Abu Dhabi. Frequented by pirates sailing in the Arabian Gulf, the village was destroyed in 1867 during the war between Qatar and Bahrain. A year later, the sheikh of Doha signed an alliance with the United Kingdom and agreed to respect the Perpetual Maritime Truce concluded in 1853, which put a stop to regional piracy.