Page 154 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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14. From 1945 to 1948 there was war between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It
began with a descent by Shaikh Rashid of Dubai from the sea on Khor Ghanadhah.
As this was a breach of the maritime truce he was ordered by the Political Agent
Bahrain to withdraw and complied with the order. Raiding and counter-raiding
by land followed. Efforts were made to effect a settlement and in 1946 the Political
Agent applied sanctions to the Ruler of Dubai by refusing travel facilities for his
subjects and cancelling the call by mail steamers at his port in order to force him
to return some looted camels and pay compensation. These demands were met
but no final settlement was reached and hostilities continued. In November 1947
economic sanctions had to be applied to Abu Dhabi to obtain the return of some
looted camels. In the same month a gang of Manasir which raided Dubai was
practically annihilated losing 54 men killed. In April 1948 the Ruler of Abu Dhabi
accepted responsibility for preventing further raiding in Dubai by the Manasir,
peace between the two Shaikhdoms was restored and the sanctions which had been
applied to Abu Dhabi were withdrawn. Three months later the Ruler of Dubai
made a separate peace with the Manasir. Relations between Abu Dhabi and
Dubai continued strained until 1952 when the Rulers became reconciled at the
bedside of Zaid who was being treated for measles in the Dubai hospital.
15. Reference has already been made to the bad relations between Abu
Dhabi and Qatar (paragraph 12 above) and to Abu Dhabi’s claims in Qatar
territory (paragraph 13 above). Qatar has recently laid claim to the island of
Halul (paragraph 54 below) which has usually been treated as belonging to Abu
Dhabi. Further in 1952 the Ruler of Qatar paid substantial sums of money to a
number of Abu Dhabi residents to enable them to leave their homes and settle
in Qatar.
16. Conditions in the Abu Dhabi Shaikhdom are still extremely primitive.
The capital is nothing more than a large village and there has been no local
development. The last surviving Hindu resident there was murdered in 1945
and it is interesting to note that his murderer was promptly arrested and executed
by shooting. It is doubtful whether any other Trucial Coast Ruler would have
taken such a strong line.
(b) Dubai
17. Shaikh Sa’id bin Maktum, C.B.E., has been Ruler of Dubai since 1912.
He was awarded the O.B.E. in 1934 and the C.B.E. in 1951. He was born in 1882
I and for some years he has left most of the affairs of his State to be dealt with by
his son Rashid. Sa’id is a benevolent old gentleman, well-intentioned but not very
I strong. Rashid is able and astute but given to intrigue and not at all times
trustworthy. Sa’id is unable to control his relations and some of them including
his brother Juma, who for a service rendered to the political authorities on some
occasion has been granted a salute of one gun, have been concerned in the slave
traffic and other villainies. He does however manage to maintain law and order
and a reasonably efficient customs regime in a flourishing port with a minimum of
administrative machinery. The affairs of the town are discussed by Rashid from
time to time with an informal committee and there are two State schools of a
Quranic type. In 1951 an attempt was made to persuade the Ruler to improve
his administration and establish a proper school, but the falling off of his customs
l receipts owing to the situation in Persia gave him an excuse for postponing action.
In 1949 he presented land for the proposed new Political Agency at Dubai and
I for the Dubai Hospital (paragraph 151 below). He contributes Rs. 40,000 a year
to the latter.
18. Dubai is the largest town on the Trucial Coast and the only port of any
commercial importance. Its population was at one time estimated at 38,000, but
has declined since 1951 owing to emigration to the oilfields and in 1953 was
probably under 20,000. It owes its prosperity to the navigability of its creek
and a large influx of Persian merchants from Lingeh at the beginning of the
century. It is the principal market of the tribes of the Trucial Coast and for many
of those of the interior. The value of its imports for which payment was made
i through the local bank alone in 1952 amounted to about £l-£ millions. It conducts
an extensive trade with Persia, and when economic conditions are bad in that
country, as at present, its prosperity declines. The Ruler recovers customs duties
on all imports at 4^ per cent, ad valorem. The mercantile community is largely
Persian and in 1953 it was reported that many of the poorer class of Persian were
immigrating to Dubai, owing to their inability to make a living in their own