"ملف ١/أ/٥ III الإدارة. شؤون قطر." [و‎‎٢‎٩] (٤٤٠/٦٢)

fieport on situation in $atar«
1 . SLAVSHY.
Slaves are being sold and purchased freely in Qatar*
Owing to the poor condition of the people nearly three fourths
of Qatar*s slaves were sold to Sa*udi Arabia. Shaikh Hamad bin
♦Abdullah al Than! takes active part in this traffic* One ♦Abdullah
bin Ghanim al Hajri is being financed by him. He purchases
slaves from different parts of Qatar and according to r^orts
goes as far as Buraimi to buy slaves. He takes these slaves to
Sa*udi Arabia and sells them there. With the slaves* money he buys
gold which he smuggles into Qatar. This gold is sent to Kuwait
or ’Iraq via Kuwait. The profit is ‘fcbing shared equally by Haisd
and * Abdullah bin Ghanim.
According to reliable infosmation Shaikh *Ali bin
♦Abdullah, elder son of the Ruler, left for pilgrimage about
five weeks ago. He took with him six female and ten male salves.
At the time he left, he did not make up his mind what to to do
with these slaves. It Is certain however that he would either
present them to H.M.King Bin Sa*ud antfd his relatives or sell them.
Nasir bin Jasim al Thani, half brother of the Ruler
of Qatar, who has been living in Hasa for the last fen years/ is
reported! to have purchased a female slave from his brother
Muhammad for Rs.1500/- He was asked by a friend in Hasa to buy
her for him. He also purchased three xiaxw female slaves(one
old and two young) for Rs.5500/-. Nothing is known as to what he
Intends to do with them.
2. GOODS IMPORTED FROM INDIA.
According to arrangements made with Kuwaiti and other
merchants, goods consigned to Qatar need not be landed. They pay
5 ^ as export duty and take new manifests for any port they want.
Large quantities of piece goods, cotton raw etc, arrived and left
Qatar in accordance with the above arrangements, feople with whom
♦Abdullah bin Darwish has direct trade connection*are reported to
have been given blank manifests which they could fill in as they
desired without even calling at Qatar.
3. QUOTA GOODS.
Rice / The price has been fixed by Shaikh Hamad at
Rs.150/*.. Most of the rice is ebing exported to Qatif in return
for which they export dates. ’Abdullah bin Darwish is doing the
sale for Hamad. Yuusf Ibrahim Jaida and Hajji Nasrullah are also
selling rice at this price but Hamad is reported to be getting
a share in the profit.
Sugar. Before the reduction, Hamad used to take 50 bags
for the Shaikh*s use but he reduced this to 25 bags. The
inhabitants are beingfeiven one pondd per month. The Shaikh does
not consume more than three bags. The rest are being exported to
Kuwait or Persia. Shaikh Hamad is also smuggling sugar from Hasa.
PIECE GOODS. Only the black and grey inferior qualities were
being distributed among the inhabitants at a fair price. The rest
and best is being either exported given to shop keepers for
sale at very high prices at Doha. Piece goods are also smuggled
from Sa*udi Arabia into Qatar. About a week ago a Persian shop
keepers by/Ibrahim Hasan imported from Kuwait 200 pieces for sale
in Doha. I* saw the Kuwait jmMs. manifest for this consignment.
GRAINS. The Inhabitants are given half barley and half
wheat at Rs.lS/- per maund of 56 lbs. This rpice has been fixed
by Shaikh Hamad after his recent visit to Bahrain. Pure wheat
cannot be obtained at less then Rs.20/- per maund.