Kalba is a town in the
United Arab Emirates. It is an
exclave of the
emirate of
Sharjah lying on the
Gulf of Oman coast north of
Oman and south of the emirate of
Fujairah. Khor Kalba (Kalba Creek), an important nature reserve and
mangrove swamp, is located south of the town by the Omani border. The town was captured by the
Portuguese Empire in the 16th century and was referred to as
Ghallah. It was attacked, sacked and put to the torch by the Sultan of Muscat's forces in March 1811 as part of the ongoing British/Omani campaigns against the maritime forces of the Al Qassimi. It was a
Trucial State from 1936 to 1951 before being reincorporated into Sharjah.