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Maktoum bin Butti bin Suhail (1833-1852) - Founder of Dubai
By 1820, the village of Dubai was ruled on Abu Dhabi Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut Al Nahyan's behalf by a regent, when the General Maritime Treaty of 1820 was signed between the Sheikhs of the South Eastern Persian Gulf coast and the British. Till 1833, Shaikh Mohammed bin Hazza bin Zaal (Al Zaal) ruled over what is now Dubai, which at the time consisted of only a few shacks on the coast, a village where fishermen and pearl diver lived with their families. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hazza bin Zaal (Al Zaal) was very young at the time, under 23, and was therefore often represented by his uncle, Sheikh Saeed bin Saif bin Zaal (Al Zaal) on official matters.
In 1833 Sheikh Obaid bin Said bin Rashid (Al Tayer) jointly leading a migration of the Al Bu Falasah tribe from Abu Dhabi alongside Sheikh Maktoum bin Butti bin Suhail (Al Maktoum). The migration of some 800 members of the Al Bu Falasah was triggered by a coup which removed Sheikh Tahnoon as Ruler of Abu Dhabi and the Bani Yas tribe. A subsection of the Bani Yas, the Al Bu Falasah disagreed with the actions of the new Ruler, Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut Al Nahyan and moved north to Dubai, which at the time consisted of a settlement of some houses at Shindagha and the Al Fahidi Fort on the other side of the Ghubaiba inlet.The migration would have been an arduous undertaking, and took place over some time throughout and following the pearling season of that year (typically May to November).
Ultimately, this large immigration (which effectively doubled the population of the fishing village of Dubai at the time) and the preceding disputes among the tribes led to the fact that in 1833 Dubai had two new rulers for a short time, both from the Al Bu Falasah tribe (July 9, 1833 – 1836: Sheikh Obaid bin Said bin Rashid (Al Tayer) ruled Dubai for 3 years along with Sheikh Maktoum bin Butti bin Suhail (Al Maktoum). Sheikh Maktoum bin Butti bin Suhail was a strong, younger personality and almost immediately the effective leader of the village and it nearly 1600 people. A fact not lost on the British who soon began deferring only to him with regard to treaty obligations and further negotiations.
When Sheikh Obaid bin Said bin Rashid died of old age in 1836, the Al Maktoum family took over sole rule of Dubai.
