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Emir Faisal’s Diplomatic Mission and Britain’s Reluctance to Invest in Saudi Oil in 1932
Ibn Saud’s quest for recognition of his Arabian Kingdom, and how British Government officials turned their backs on the largest reserves of crude oil in the world.
Emir Faisal’s Diplomatic Mission and Britain’s Reluctance to Invest in Saudi Oil in 1932
From the Individual to the Archetypal: ‘Abd al-Ghaffār’s Edited Photographic Portraits
The removal of original backgrounds and inscriptions reveals a tension between the photographers ‘Abd al-Ghaffār and Snouck Hurgronje in terms of their process, approach to and outlook on photography.
From the Individual to the Archetypal: ‘Abd al-Ghaffār’s Edited Photographic Portraits
The East India Company, the problem of “piracy”, and the rise of the first Saudi state
Faced with the rise of a new power on land and an increase in attacks at sea, the British response at the start of the nineteenth century would lead to a new era of political and military intervention.
The East India Company, the problem of “piracy”, and the rise of the first Saudi state
Pelly’s Unprecedented Trip to Riyadh
When Pelly undertook making a trip to Riyadh in 1864–65, he wished to gain intelligence on the Nejd, but also to prove that an Englishman could travel through the territory unmolested.
Pelly’s Unprecedented Trip to Riyadh
The Accidental Explorer: George Sadleir and Britain’s entry into Central Arabia, 1819
The first crossing of the Arabian Peninsula by a European, revealed in glimpses by the early correspondence of the Bushire Residency, was indicative of the East India Company beginning to look beyond the Gulf littoral and into Central Arabia.
The Accidental Explorer: George Sadleir and Britain’s entry into Central Arabia, 1819
The King’s Oryx: Ibn Saud’s Diplomatic Gift to George V
In 1920, a gift from Ibn Saud in the form of a female oryx was the first ever to have survived the difficult journey from Arabia to London.
The King’s Oryx: Ibn Saud’s Diplomatic Gift to George V
A Rich Culture Expressed in Music: musical instruments in the Upper Gulf region
The music of the upper Gulf region is well known for its intricate rhythms, hand-clapping and sung poetry. In addition to this, its musical instruments have evolved or been incorporated into various genres.
A Rich Culture Expressed in Music: musical instruments in the Upper Gulf region
The Qusaybi Merchant Family: Agents and Financiers of Ibn Sa‘ud
The family background, business activities, financial and political influence of the Qusaybi brothers, the eventual division of the family business, and their commercial and political legacy.
The Qusaybi Merchant Family: Agents and Financiers of Ibn Sa‘ud
Thesiger’s Clothes: Empire and Exploration in the Arabian Peninsula
Over several centuries, the close relationship between individual explorers of the Arabian Peninsula and the British Empire was made clear in often unpublished journals and accounts held in the India Office Records.
Thesiger’s Clothes: Empire and Exploration in the Arabian Peninsula
Kuwait’s Majlis Movement: National and regional developments brought into focus, 1938
The movement for political reform in Kuwait in 1938 signified change in the region and highlights the country’s – and Britain’s – response to the ideas and forces that delivered it.
Kuwait’s Majlis Movement: National and regional developments brought into focus, 1938
The Death of Captain Shakespear, 1915
A little known first-hand account, that the British Agents in Bahrain garnered by chance, sheds light on William Henry Irvine Shakespear’s death.
The Death of Captain Shakespear, 1915
Britain, Ibn Sa‘ūd, and Saudi Arabia, 1932-1953
Following the formation of Saudi Arabia in 1932, Britain continued to maintain close relations with the new state’s founder and ruler, King Ibn Sa‘ūd, although it would eventually be supplanted by the United States in its role as Saudi Arabia’s key western sponsor and protector.
Britain, Ibn Sa‘ūd, and Saudi Arabia, 1932-1953
Kuwait, Carnegie, and Terrestrial Magnetic Observations
How geophysicists working in the Gulf were able to contribute in the 1930s to the scientific community’s understanding of the earth’s magnetic field.
Kuwait, Carnegie, and Terrestrial Magnetic Observations
‘Calls himself an Englishman’: The shifting loyalties of Harry Philby
How the anti-British sentiments of a British adviser assisted the foundation of Saudi Arabia.
‘Calls himself an Englishman’: The shifting loyalties of Harry Philby
Finding Aid: IOR/L/MIL Records of the Military Department (1708-1957)
An overview of India Office Military Department records relating to Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and the Arabian Peninsula.
Finding Aid: IOR/L/MIL Records of the Military Department (1708-1957)
‘Abd al-Ghaffār: The First Meccan Photographer
While much remains unknown about the life of the first Meccan photographer, al-Sayyid ‘Abd al-Ghaffār, his 1880s photographs shed light on life in the holy city.
‘Abd al-Ghaffār: The First Meccan Photographer
Historical Profile: Kuwait
An overview of the key moments from the history of interaction between the British and Kuwait, as illustrated through the India Office Records.
Historical Profile: Kuwait
Finding Aid: IOR/R/15/5 Political Agency, Kuwait (1904-1949)
An overview of the records created by the UK’s Political Agency at Kuwait between 1904 and 1949, and an examination of some of the subjects covered.
Finding Aid: IOR/R/15/5 Political Agency, Kuwait (1904-1949)
Just a Line in the Sand? The Making of an Arabian Border, 1925
Beyond Sykes and Picot, the India Office Records reveal the complex historical and political junctures that shaped the map of today's Middle East.
Just a Line in the Sand? The Making of an Arabian Border, 1925
Hidden Treasures: Reflections on traditional music in Kuwait
Kuwait has maintained a thriving traditional music culture; in particular bahri, or sea music, and ṣawt have remained at the heart of the music scene.
Hidden Treasures: Reflections on traditional music in Kuwait
The Kuwait Cat’s Meat Crisis
The arrest of a British Subject on spurious charges makes plain Britain’s dominant position in Kuwait in the late 1930s.
The Kuwait Cat’s Meat Crisis
Historical Profile: Saudi Arabia
An overview of the key moments from the history of interaction between the British and Saudi Arabia, as illustrated through the India Office Records.
Historical Profile: Saudi Arabia
St John Philby’s Mission to Najd: Across the Heart of Arabia
In November 1917, St John Philby was sent from Basra on a mission to cross the desert and meet with Ibn Sa‘ud. It was an expedition that changed his life.
St John Philby’s Mission to Najd: Across the Heart of Arabia
Shaikh Ahmad goes to England: The Politics of Official State Visits
Despite inauspicious beginnings, Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ’s official visit to England in 1919 proved a success.
Shaikh Ahmad goes to England: The Politics of Official State Visits
Out of the Hijaz: The Hashemite dynasty in the twentieth century
During the First World War, leading members of the Hashemite dynasty accepted British support in their revolt against the Ottoman Empire. Their aspirations to lead independent Arab states succeeded, but survive today only in Jordan.
Out of the Hijaz: The Hashemite dynasty in the twentieth century
The Cradle of Arabic Sawt Music: The early musician generations in Kuwait
Who were the founders of traditional ṣawt music and why did their musical journey start in Kuwait?
The Cradle of Arabic Sawt Music: The early musician generations in Kuwait
Interlocking Patterns Meet Arabic Poetry: musical genres in the Upper Gulf region
The people of the upper Gulf coast have created a rich and multifaceted musical culture. Unfortunately, these musical genres are hardly known outside this region and there is a risk that some of this heritage will be lost forever.
Interlocking Patterns Meet Arabic Poetry: musical genres in the Upper Gulf region