“Starting in the 18th century, the Gulf emirs came under the protection of the British empire, which sought to keep rivals away from the approaches to India. The British imposed truces on the internecine fights of the emirs (hence the region’s name, “the trucial coast”).” (The Economist, 2018, p.5).

Reference

The Economist. (2018) From Pearls to Black Gold: How Oil Transformed the Gulf. The Economist. 23 June 2018.