Banu Ka'b

Banu Qushayr Banu Ja'da Banu al-Harash Banu Abd Allah Banu Habib

The Banu Kaʿb () Singular Kaabi (Arabic: الكعبي) are a nomadic Arab tribe which originated in the Najd region of the Arabian Peninsula, and inhabit Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, and Iran (Khuzestan). They often raided, then settled various areas of southern and central Ottoman Iraq, in cities such as Basra and Nasiriyah, and also across the border in modern-day Khuzestan province in Iran, particularly near the city of Al-Muhammarah. From the early 18th century onwards, the Banu Kaʿb of Iraq began converting from Sunni to Shia Islam. Other branches of the Bani Kaʿb settled in Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco. The Banu Ka'b of Oman, Qatar and the UAE practice Sunni Islam while the Banu Ka'b of Iraq practice Shia Islam.

In the mid-eighteenth century, the Banu Kaʿb had a strong navy, and sometimes attacked British ships, and fought either for or against the Ottoman Empire and Qajar Iran. In 1812, the Emirate of Muhammara emerged as an autonomous emirate under the Banu Kaʿb. The Banu Kaʿb had their tribal flag as a yellow or red flag with tribe and branch sayings.

They also had a skirmish with the naval force of the Sheikhdom of Kuwait from Riqqa. Sheikh Barakat of the Banu Kaʿb asked for the hand of a Kuwait sheikh's daughter in marriage and the sheikh refused; that infuriated Sheikh Barakat and caused him to attack Kuwait. However, his ships got stuck in the sand because of the shallow water. In this skirmish no one died however the Kuwaitis technically won because they salvaged what they could from Banu Kaʿb's stuck ships. Sheikh Barakat tried to muster more men to attack Kuwait but the people killed him for his incompetence and for his willingness to risk the lives of his tribesmen for something trivial.