'Adminisistration [Administration] Reports 1931-1935' [‎198v] (396/416)

ijnc h Pfin succeeded by his son, Sa’ud, a taciturn young man of some 25 years
of age, who is said to take an even stronger line with the bedouin than did
his redoubtable father. , , ,
(iil The Indian rupee has been adopted as the local currency of Hasa
and Naid and considerable shipments were received in Jedda apparently for
this purpose. The rupee is unpopular among the bedouin and smaller
traders who have lost by the change, but the importers from abroad have
^“(hi) Large numbers of camels were said to have been purchased by Bin
Sa’ud during the summer for sums varying from 120 130 riya s.
/jv) Towards the end of the year Bin Sa’ud established a land registra
tion department in the Hasa Province and was making arrangements to
(Topen regular courts, and (b) to establish a regular police force with 150
trained men. He also proposed to disarm the tribes. It is understood that
Bfn Sa’ud wishes to see the reactions to these reforms m Hasa before intro-
during them in other parts of his dominions. .
(v) The California Standard Oil Company have been prospecting for
oil in various parts of the Hasa Province. A test well was sunk at Damam
on the sea coast near Qatif and oil is reported to have been struck on the
27th August. Their operations appear to be much hampered by the pressuie
of gas. The Company have offices at Jubail and A1 Khubar.
28 Qatar. —Events in Qatar have mostly centered round negotiations
between Shaikh ’Abdullah bin Qasim al Tham, Ruler of Qatar, and the
Anglo-Iranian Oil Company Limited, for the grant of an oil concession.
The Shaikh’s attitude in the course of the negotiations with the Com
pany made it apparent in the early stages that Bin Sa ud was trying to bring
pressure upon him. It was, therefore, considered necessary to remind the
Shaikh of his obligations under Article V of the Qatar Treaty of 1916 under
which he was not free to grant concessions or monopolies without the ap
proval of His Majesty’s Government. This warning had effect but the
Shaikh asked (a) for protection and (b) that his son, Hamad, should be recog
nised as his successor. T3 11
After considerable discussions with the Honourable the Political
Resident, the Shaikh was informed:—
(a) that His Majesty’s Government were prepared to protect him trom
serious and unprovoked attacks from beyond his frontiers and
to support him and his successors in internal difficulties aris
ing from the presence of the Oil Company, and
(b) that His Majesty’s Government were prepared to recognise his
son, Hamad, as his successor provided he agreed to ^ cce P 1 \ a11
obligations under the Qatar Treaty of 1916 and provided tha
the Shaikh agreed to convert the Treaty of 1916 into an neirs
and successors” Treaty.
Subsidiary matters connected with “protection” included the construc-
tioji of a landing ground and petrol store near Doha. The above conditions
were agreed to by the Shaikh in an exchange of letters with the Honourable
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. and the Shaikh finally signed the Commercial Agre
ment with the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company Limited on 17th May. ^
The question of defining the southern frontier between Qatar and Sa udi
Arabia is under discussion with the Sa’udi Arabian Government.
29. Slavery.—13 slaves were manumitted by order of the Honourabe
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. and one by order of 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. , makl ?S
total of 14 manumitted during the year as compared with 19 manumitteu
during 1934.
30. Climate.—The summer of 1935 was exceptionally hot and hunud,
and compared by those who knew it to the appalling hot weather ot lUi •
G. LOCH,
Lieutenant-Colonel,
" < 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.