The construction of Al Jahili Fort began in 1891 under Sheikh Zayed the First and was completed in 1898. In the early 1950s the British forces established Al Jahili Fort as a base for the Trucial Oman Levies and expanded the facilities, adding barracks, a small hospital, and a larger enclosure of the original fort. The fort has recently been restored and now houses a permanent Thesiger exhibit, and an information centre. It is also the venue for outdoor concerts.