Page 149 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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was found that members of the ruling family who had been giving trouble had
in their possession a number of automatic weapons which it was believed had
been imported by air from the Lebanon. Ali was called upon to enforce the
proclamation issued under the 1916 Treaty and urged to regulate the possession
and carrying of arms. He took steps through his Police to prevent the further
illegal import of arms and at the end of 1953 was reported to be considering the
issue of a decree ordering the registration of those already in his territory K

(f) Bunks
67. In August 1949 the Eastern Bank, Limited, obtained the Ruler’s
permission in writing to open a branch in Qatar.C05) No monopoly or special
concessions on either side were asked for and there was no formal agreement
The branch was established early in 1950 and new premises which had been
constructed for it were formally opened by the Ruler in November 1951. The
branch was originally a sub-branch of the Bank’s Bahrain office but it was made
an independent branch at the end of 1953.
68. In November 1953 the British Bank of the Middle East, with the approval
of Her Majesty’s Government, obtained the permission of the Ruler to open a
branch in Dohah.

(g) Post Office
69. A Post Office was opened in the Political Agency at Dohah in 1950 and
the work handled by the Political Officer’s staff. In 1952 a postal clerk was posted
to Dohah, where he continues to work in the Political Agency under the Political
Officer’s supervision. The Adviser has agreed to allot a site for a post office in
the town-building programme.C0*)
70. British stamps are used surcharged with rupee values only. In 1951
the Ruler wrote the Political Agent, Bahrain, asking that they should also be
surcharged “ Qatar.” The situation was examined and it was found that as all
the mail of Petroleum Development (Qatar), Limited, was dealt with at Bahrain
and carried to and from that place under the company’s own arrangements, there
was not sufficient traffic to justify a separate issue of stamps for Qatar.C07) The
Ruler has not returned to the charge and it is believed that he was not personally
interested in the matter.
{h) Telecommunications
71. In January 1951 Cable and Wireless, Limited, obtained a licence from
the Ruler valid for twenty years for the establishment of telecommunication services
between Qatar and the outside world, the provision of a telephone service in
Qatar and the establishment of a public telegraph office in Qatar (Appendix G (i)).
They undertook to provide one telephone free of charge for the Ruler’s personal
use and to transmit private telegrams free of charge for the Ruler up to a limit
of 1,000 words a year (Appendix G (ii)). A public telegraph office was opened
immediately and wireless telegraph and telephone communication established with
Bahrain. An automatic telephone system has been installed in Dohah.

(/) Medical and Quarantine
72. The Mission of the Dutch Reformed Church of America opened a
hospital in a local building at Dohah in May 1950. They found themselves unable
to maintain it owing to shortage of staff and handed it over to the Qatar
Government in February 1952. The first British State Medical Officer arrived in
Dohah in March of that year. Much was done to improve the existing hospital
and it was decided to invite designs for a new one. A design was aPProY,0I5
the latter half of 1953 and work is expected to start shortly. At the end ol iw
there were two British doctors employed by the Qatar Government in Dohah.
73. The Qatar Government has not yet taken over responsibility for its
own quarantine administration, and no special quarantine establishment has °e
appointed. Umm Sa’id is the only port at which ocean-going steamers call an
C85) P.R. to F.O. 280/15/49 of November 11. 1949 (E 14103/11110/91 of 1949).
(,8‘) G.P.O. to F.O. 70145/46/37 of May 21. 1953 (EA 1444/1 of 1953).
(,or) P.R. to F.O. 1446/10 of December 27, 1951 (EA 1441/1 of 1952).

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