Page 182 - Records of Bahrain (3) (ii)_Neat

598
Records of Bahrain
to reoognise "Majlis al Urfi"
until Shaikh Iau withdrew hia
nomination. Jly prcidocoosor wont u»uy at thio stuge of tho

oriaoa und it huo boon loft for mo to eottlo tho tungle. i
oortainly oonoidor tho urdor-in-Uounoil iu'oloar on tho
eubjoot and should bo insistod on.
In tho mounting tho Uujlia
al Urfle sittings have boon uuopondod ponding aottloraont of
thio vexed question.
The Question of Zubura.
Point 3. / x have been~6firougfiu great many files on the
subject and have oonaultod oonfidontially various local people
of prominence* without of courao divulging tho rouoono for my
quoationo. The oonolualona i huvu urrlvod ut uro that it
would be distinctly unwise to allow .Shaikh lou to ocoupy
Zubara. On the following grounds:
(a) Shaikh Abdullah bin Jisolm of Qatar would strongly
resent the Shaikh of buhruin again getting a footing on t.he
Qutur peninsula. Ue is u weakjr man ana Zubara in tho hands of
Shuikh lou would bo u pistol ut hie hsud always.
(b) Shuikh Abdullah bin Jaosi:n would certainly object to
tho development of a new port on the peninsula of Qutur since
it would at onco divert all trade from Uohuh (bidu) to Zubara
and ho would not only lose u large amount of revenue it pre­
sent accruing from the Customs house nl Uohuh but would otund
every chance of seeing Uohuh entirely diouppeur us tho sea­
port of Qatar.

(o) Ibn Suud similarly would take offence at a revival
of the port of Zubara under Shaikh Isa'a Jurisdiction for ^
like reasons to (b) above us ouoh a port would moan the kill­
ing of his new trade oentre of O'Julr. It should be noted

that ths harbour of Zubara lo nuturully much better thun that.
of either Uohah or O'Jalr bnd with the Shuikh of buhruin
aotuully compelling all Uahruin trade to go to the mainland
through hie port of Zubara tho end of both Abdullah bin
Jusalm'o and Ibn Suud'a ports would be certain and quiok.
.*
As matters atund a good deal of ooolneaa already exlata
between Ibn Saud und Shaikh Iau owing to tho lutter huving.
.reoently instituted u tax on goods passing through Bahrain!