Page 196 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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Riyadh. He does not appear to have declared himself a Saudi subject but still
asserts his independence as Ruler of the Jabal Akhdar. He issues his own travel
documents and refuses to accept a Sultanate passport. It is reported that on his
return from Riyadh the Imam declared him an infidel and his assassination lawful.
Since then however he appears to have made his peace with the Imam.
38. After Turki’s arrival in Buraimi the Ibadhi tribesmen except for a few
under Sulaiman’s control rallied behind the Sultan and the Imam and would
undoubtedly have attacked Turki had not Her Majesty’s Government asked the
Sultan to hold his hand. The present situation is confused and with the Imams
increasing weakness his administration is disintegrating. It would appear however
that the Imam and the Hinawis are at one with the Sultan in their opposition to
the Saudis and that by no means all of the Ghafiris are prepared to follow
Sulaiman’s lead. It is predicted that when the Imam dies serious fighting will break
out between the two factions and whether this will be to the advantage of the Sultan
or the Saudis remains to be seen. The latter have not yet claimed sovereignty over
the Omani tribes but only asserted their right to deal with them direct as being
independent. The tribal leaders are now anxious for an oil company to enter their
country and it is probable that many of the tribesmen share this view, as large
numbers of them have worked for oil companies in the Shaikhdoms and Saudi
Arabia and seen the prosperity of the countries where oil has been found. The
main obstacle to oil exploitation at present is not the fanaticism of the Imam but
the fact that the Shaikhs do not want to share their profits with the Sultan.

IV.—Relations between the Sultan and the Sunni Tribes of the Dhahirah and the
Buraimi area
39. These tribes were not signatories of the Treaty of Sib. The Imam
maintains a Wali at Ibri at the southern end of the Dhahirah, and the Bani Ali and
a few other tribesmen are subject to the Sultan’s influence but for the most part
the tribes assert their independence both of the Sultan and the Imam and in 1952
a number of Shaikhs announced their allegiance to Ibn Saud. About three-
quarters of the Buraimi oasis, but not Buraimi village itself, is under the effective
control of the Ruler of Abu Dhabi. This territory is not claimed by the Sultan and
is outside the scope of this section.
40. Lorimer describes the Dhahirah as part of the Sultanate of Oman.
Writing in the first decade of this century he reports that the hold of the Sultan on
the district was slight but that he maintained a Wali supported by a garrison at
Araqi. He classifies both Jau, in which Buraimi lies, and Mahadhah, the
headquarters of the Bani Kaab, to the north of it as Independent Oman. The
Sultan bases his claim to Buraimi on its capture from the Wahhabis by his
predecessor Azzan in 1869. The latter installed a garrison there but it is unlikely
to have stayed there long as Azzan was driven from the throne the following year
and dynastic fighting and tribal insurrections continued for a number of years.
Since then no Sultan appears to have made any attempt to instal a Wali or enforce
law and order in the area. In 1929 Sultan Faisal refused an invitation from the
leading Na’im Shaikh to visit Buraimi on the score of expense. The present Sultan
has frequently been urged to establish his authority over the whole area but
beyond sending his brother to visit the Dhahirah in 1945 and his Minister of the
Interior, Saiyid Ahmad, to open up the Wadi Jizzi, the main route between the
Batinah and Buraimi, in 1948, and to assist the oil company in their negotiations
with the Buraimi tribes in 1949, he failed to take any positive action until Turki
set himself up as Amir in Buraimi in 1952. He did, it is true, pay small allowances
to some of the Shaikhs and gave them presents when they visited him and in 1951
he gave the Political Resident copies of a number of letters from them
acknowledging their obedience to him,(4‘) together with a copy of an agreement
signed by them in 1948 appointing the leading Na’im Shaikh, Saqr bin Sultan,
as their representative for dealing with him and promising not to communicate
with the oil company.f47) Subsequent events have shown these documents to be
of little value.
(“) P.R. to F.O. 1011 /10 G of April 12. 1951 (EA 1017/9 of 1951).
(4J) P.R. to F.O. 11011/19 G of June l. 1951 (EA 1017/10 of 1951).
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