There is no life in Medinaat al-Salaam that is not touched in some way by the Merchant Houses of Dahab, and their power over the city. Virtually all commerce of note in the Jewel is overseen and recorded by one House or another. While the laws state that only the Caliphate and the Sultanate have authority in the Jewel, the truth is that both must consider what the Dahabi will think before they take action. If money represents power, then the Houses command considerable power within the Jewel.
The Houses of Dahab are currently working to massage the life back into the Jewel of the Desert’s economy. Damage done 30 years ago by the Erba’a Alliance’s siege and the Awakening is only just now being repaired in full, and the Jewel is poised to return to full efficiency. With Sultan Yusef III’s bizarre, Immortal Caliph-influenced policies repealed by the current Sultan, the last barrier is gone and the Houses are ready to take over the Jewel’s economy once again. However, there is a significant barrier to this: the Houses’ internecine fighting.
Two factions are currently sparring for control of Houses of Dahab