'Historical Summary of Events in the Persian Gulf Shaikhdoms and the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, 1928-1953' [‎81v] (167/222)

150
of them had to be sent back to Jordan. By the end of ^^^J^ C
had been obtained, 30 of them being bedu and the rest non-com c p .
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. reported that, as a result of the establishment ot the Levies
no case of abduction into slavery had been reported during e y a
there had been a decrease in highway robbery.^ 1 )
46. In 1952 the force was recruited up to a strength of 100 Posts were
established at Rams and in the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. al Qaur and, after the arrival o urki at
Hamasah, at Al Ain in the Buraimi oasis.
47. Early in 1953 a decision was taken to recruit the force up to a total
strength of 500 in order to deal with the situation created by the establishment
of a Saudi Amir in the Buraimi oasis and guard the Frucial States Irontier
against further Saudi encroachments. Aden Protectorate Levies were brought in
temporarily to make up the requisite strength and recruiting for the force was
carried out urgently in Aden. By August the desired number ol recruits had been
obtained and the Aden Protectorate Levies were released. In November there
were serious breaches of discipline in one of the squadrons recruited from Aden
and an attempt to arrest some of the offenders resulted in the murder of two
British Officers and one Jordanian Warrant Officer. The murderers were arrested
and the whole squadron was sent back to Aden and disbanded. In the latter
half of 1953 the force was brought under the operational control of the War
Office but it still remained under the administrative control of the Foreign Office.(' d )
A new post of Senior Army Officer, Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , was created at Bahrain for the
purposes of operational control (Chapter 2, paragraph 117). During the year a
number of additional posts were established to watch the Trucial States A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. ' frontiers.
The role of the Levies has thus been extended to include the protection of the
Trucial States A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. against external aggression.
V.—Local Development
48. The Rulers of the Trucial States A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. , owing to their lack of resources, have
hitherto been able to do very little to improve the conditions under which their
people live. Sharjah, Dubai and Ras al Khaimah possess rudimentary schools
and the Ruler of Sharjah has made some ineffectual efforts to improve his creek.
Elsewhere nothing has been done on the Rulers' initiative.
49. The British Government of India, with their policy of non -interference
on land on the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. , did nothing beyond opening a dispensary at Dubai
in 1939 and providing the services of the Sub-Assistant Surgeon. Her Majesty's
Government contributed to the cost of this measure but apart from this no funds
were made available for local development until 1953. During the last war,
however, a fund was raised from contributions obtained from the Rulers and
merchants and from profits on the sale of cereals and other commodities to the
local population for the establishment of a hospital at Dubai. The services of a
British doctor were obtained in 1949 and the hospital was opened in 1951
(paragraph 151 below).
50. At the end of 1952 in view of propaganda spread by the Saudis regarding
their intention to extend the benefits of education, agricultural development, &c.
to Buraimi 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. recommended that Her Majesty's Government
should build schools at Sharjah and Dubai and pay for a survev of the water
resources of the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. .( ) Her Majesty's Government accepted these
proposals in principle and also suggested that the Red Cross Society should be
asked to assist in improving the medical facilities on the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. and that
some financial contribution should be made towards a survey of the Dubai creek.( 27 )
Sanction was subsequently accorded to the building of a school at Sharjah and to
a surve> of the water resources at the expense of Her IVIajesty's Government. A
water survey was carried out by Colonel Merrylees in the spring of 1953 with
( 24 ) P.R. to P.O. 1202/1/52 of January 2, 1952 (EA 1201/11 of 1952)
n The War Office assumed administrative control in April 1954, financial responsibility
remaining with the Foreign Office. 1 C F J
( 26 ) Tel. from P.R. to P.O. 66, Saving, of December 17, 1952 (EA 1084/478 nf 1QV)
( 37 ) P.O. to P.R. EA 1084/478 of January 5, 1953. aum /4/8 ot 1952).