'Historical Summary of Events in the Persian Gulf Shaikhdoms and the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, 1928-1953' [‎73v] (151/222)

134
^ , i ^ aarep to a re vision of the jurisdictional
58. In the Ruler w as ask ^ l0 ^ g h lh o Se prevailing in Bahrain. He
arrangements to bring them into line * should exercis e jurisdiction over
accordingly agreed m writing that sub jects of the other Gulf
aU persons in his State except his own .J (Appendix D (ii)). At the
Shaikhdoms Saudi Arabia Muscat an- t wou|d otherw i se be under his
same time he conhrmed that . h sub jects would be subject to Her
jurisdiction, in the regular service ot di^cussior with him about this
Majestv s iunsdiction. There was some ui npr^ons in the errmlov
arranoement and it was a^Teed that it should not appl> to persons in i ploy
arrangemem ana u "a* i n ^ted ( 93 ) A new Order-m-Council was
of Petroleum Development (Qatar* Lm ^tea. rhanaes in iurisdiction
issued in 1953 giving effect amongst other things to these changes m jun.diction.
59 Th^ Ruler has issued a Passport Law (paragraph o below) and Traffic
Regulations He has been asked to amend the latter before they are applied to
Ss subject to the Order-in-Council by a Queen's Regu at .om Municipal Bye-
Laws made by the Dohah Municipality have , bee " f 9^1
R puliation ( 94 ) Regulations have also been issued under the Orders-m-JLouncil
regarding the appointment of Special Police Officers,(») Passport Control,
Dangerous Drugs. Alcoholic DrinksO and Miscellaneous Services.( )
(h)' Facilities for the Royal Air Force
60. In 1932 the Ruler was asked for aeroarome facilities, primarily for use
in an emergency bv Imperial Airways.! s ) He demanded a formal guarantee of
protection which His Majesty's Government were unwilling to give and negotiations
broke down. A landing-ground was marked out by the Royal Air Force near
Dohah by dropping bags of chalk from the air and he was warned that if aircrait
using it were molested he would be called to account.
61. In 1935 in the letter in which the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. gave the Ruler a
guarantee of protection on land (Appendix A) it was pointed out that to enable
His Majesty's Government to implement the guarantee it was necessary that the
Royal Air Force should be accorded certain facilities. This letter was not formally
acknowledsed but it appears that the Ruler accepted the position as he raised no
objection to the construction of a landing ground north of Dohah which was
completed in July.C 9 ) No rent was paid for it. In 1938 the Ruler agreed to exempt
from customs duties fuel imported bv the Royal Air Force for storage at Dohah.
The Royal Air Force ceased to maintain the landing ground at Dohah after the
last war. It was used for a time by civil aircraft and has now been abandoned.
The Royal Air Force now make use of the oil company's and other landing grounds
in Qatar as occasion arises without any specific charter from the Ruler.
(c) Civil Aviation
62. In 1932 the Ruler refused to agree to the construction of a landing ground
which was intended primarily for use in an emergency by Imperial Airways
(paragraph 60 above). Under the 1935 oil concession agreement Petroleum
Development (Qatar) Limited were obliged to obtain the Ruler's permission on
any occasion on which they desired to use aerial transport within his territories.
This provision was modified in 1946 (paragraph 31 above) and the company
constructed landing-grounds at Dukhan, Umm Sa'id and Dohah for their private
use.. In 1949 the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. called attention to the fact that His Majesty's
Government had no control over civil aviation in Qatar and suggested that the
desirability of entering into a civil air agreement with the Ruler should be
considered.! 100 ) It was decided that as there was little prospect of the establishment
of an international airport in Qatar and that as a formal agreement might involve
His Majesty's Government in a number of expensive obligations a simple exchange
of letters would suffice. Accordingly in 1951 the Ruler was induced to write a
letter to the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. Bahrain asking His Majesty's Government to assume
( 93 ) P.R. to P.O. 1642/34 of March 19, 1951 (EA 1645/5 of 1951)
( 94 ) No. 1 of 1952.
f 95 ) No. 1 of 1948.
( 96 ) Nos. 2, 3 and 4 of 1952.
( 97 ) No. 1 of 1953.
f 98 ) I.O. to G. of I. P.Z. 8204/33 of December 22, 1933 (E 7975/156/91 of 1933)
(") I.O. toF.O. P.Z. 5337/35 of August 12, 1935 (E 4889/269/91 of 1935)
( 100 ) P.R. to P.O. 210/3/49 of April 9, 1949 (W 2392/15/802 of 1949)