'File 8/62 IV PRINCIPAL SHAIKHS & TRIBES OF OMAN.' [‎130r] (263/282)

19* The badu* tribes include the •Awandr’, the 'Daru’ the WaMbah
and the Qara*
20. The Awamir have numerous small settlements in the Sultanate
which acknowledge the Sultan* The bedouin sections which range along
the edge of the Ruba f al Khali appear to be divided between branches
one of which ia in Sa’udi Arabia (E 11092) from which a Sau»di claim
to the whole of the bedouin sections is likely to arise. Information
about the connection between the settled sections in the Sultanate and
the more easterly bedouin sections is not available but from the account
of their wild and lawless habits it seems probable that the taudmah of
the settled sections has no influence, and that what cohesion exists
amongst the badu is maintained by Shaikh Selim bin harrad of the Hal
Haiw section "in Sa'udi Arabia" (E 11092).
21. Information about the Daru’ (or Duru*) is somewhat conflicting
(li 11092 and EA 1019/10) but the report in the latter remarks that they
are "at feud with the Wahabis" and that their tarnimah visited the
Sultan in 194B*
22. The Wahibah are on good terms with the Sultan and their tamimah
visited him in 1948 .
23. The Qata who live on the borders of Dhofar are a wild and
primitive people but appear to be w11—disposed to the Sultan.
24. On the whole, therefore, ignoring the rather doubtful case of the
*Awandr* there seem to be good grounds, as far as the desert area is
concerned, for regarding the line "beyond which the Sultan has no claims"
as actually representing the approximate lindts of the dir as of tribes
over which the Sultan may claim some ineasure of control or influence.
25. The position in the Jau district, in which Buraimi lies, in the
Mahadhah tract to the north-east of it, the home of the Bard : a'ab,
and in the Dhahirah in mediately south of Jau, is less easy to define.
The case for regarding the Buraimi oasis itself as part of Abi^ Dhabi
territory may fall down owing to opposition from the Sultan. This does
not positively advance Sa’udi claims to the place but naturally makes
a counter-claim more difficult, and it is essential that we decide,
before the fact-finding commission starts work, whether we intend to
back the claims to Buraimi of Abu Dhabi or of the Sultan. I suggest
that, whatever the reactions of the Sultan may be, we must as part of
the policy of dealing with the actual conditions and not with vague,
remote and temporary historical situations, be prepared to back the
claims of Abu Dhabi.
26. The effect of doing so may be to alienate the Na'im still further.
The Sultan cannot be expected openly to acquiesce! it would, indeed,
be impolitic for him to do so for he would thus encourage others to
seek independent arrangements in territory over which he claims suzerainty
and although it involves us in a measure of inconsistency, I suggest
that we should support his claims to suzerainty over the other tribes
of the Jau, Mahadhah and Dhahirah districts, and, if necessary, over
< 0 , 1 those whose internal affairs are managed by the Imam. Definition
of the area covered by "Buraimi” is a task for the fact-finding
commission.
27. A tribal map based on EA 1019/10 and a copy of the Treaty of Sib
are attached.
Research Department
Foreign Office.
6 th December 1950.