Although the appearance of the independent states to Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE is considered a new event, the origins of these political entities go back to the beginning of the 18th century. Excavations in Bahrain, at Umm al-Nar Island in Abu Dhabi and elsewhere in the area prove than even in prehistoric times the inhabitants of the Gulf were under two influences, the Mesopotamian civilization and the Indus culture in India. Trade and seafaring were the two main occupations of the Gulf Inhabitants. The Gulf was, through the centuries, the link between the East and the Mediterranean. Gulf traders carried eastern commodities from India and China to the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab at the head of the Gulf and from there by caravan routes to the Mediterranean.
Adventure is an important inherited element in the Gulf character.
The Phoenicians, who probably originated from the coast of Oman, found their way to the Mediterranean coast and established new settlements for themselves, such as Jubail and Tyre in Lebanon, named after their original settlements on the Omani coast. Some of these Phoenicians who came from the Gulf went further west, establishing the magnificent city of Carthage in Tunisia. Sohar, one of the main ports in Oman was, in medieval times, called the port of China. After the great Arab conquests, Basra was established and the new port was populated mainly by the Gulf tribes. Arab literature tells a lot about the adventures of the Muslim traders during this period, particularly the stories of Sinbad the sailor, who started his voyages from Basra.