Built in 1938 by the Qatari state as a border police post, the fort sits at the edge of the archaeological zone and now houses the site's interpretive museum. The collection is well-organized and modest in scale: pottery shards, pearl-diving weights, trade goods, and maps that explain the settlement's development and commercial reach. The fort's rooftop offers the best views over the ruins and out to the coast.
The building itself is typical of early-20th-century Gulf military architecture — square towers, whitewashed walls, wind-catchers — and worth a few minutes on its own terms.