Page 218 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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of Government of Muscat and is advised on quarantine matters by the Chief
Quarantine Medical Officer Persian Gulf.!14*) The Sultan receives a quarantine
fee of Rs. 5/- per head from persons arriving by steamer and maintains a
quarantine station a few miles south of Muscat. He pays an allowance of Rs. 150/-
a month to the Quarantine Medical Oflicer.
105. The Sultan has not adhered to the International Sanitary Convention
of 1926 but has agreed to follow generally the recently issued International
Sanitary Regulations with certain reservations. In 1952 the World Health
Organisation proposed to write to him asking him to consider the application of
these Regulations to Muscat but it is not known what transpired.!13') In 1948 he
raised objections to the issue of International Health Certificates by the Medical
Oflicer in charge of the hospital but the practice was persisted in.
106. The Muscat Charitable Hospital which until a few years ago was
known as either the Agency or the Consulate Hospital was built about 1908. The
Sultan, Saiyid Faisal, donated the land, the Government of India contributed
Rs. 20,000 and a sum of Rs. 40,000 was obtained by subscriptions from local
merchants. Faisal publicly laid the foundation stone. Subsequently the
Government of India paid the staff and supplied medicines while the cost of the
maintenance of the building and of any improvements was met from public
subscriptions and a contribution of Rs. 1,200/- a year from the Sultan. The
hospital fund was about Rs. 20,000 in credit when His Majesty’s Government took
over responsibility for the Persian Gulf Residency.
107. Since then Her Majesty’s Government have always desired to be freed
from any financial commitment in respect of this hospital but have continued
grudgingly to support it. In 1951 the Sultan was persuaded to increase his
contribution, which he had not paid for .three years, to £1,000 a year for three
years.C3'’) He then announced his intention of building his own hospital but beyond
preparing some plans has done nothing in this direction up to date. For so long
as his contribution is continued and expenditure on the maintenance of the building
can be met from the funds already in hand or by further public subscriptions Her
Majesty’s Government are unlikely to have to spend more than about £800 a year
on the hospital and quarantine service combined. An Indian doctor is at present
in charge of both the hospital and quarantine arrangements. In addition to his
quarantine allowance from the Sultan he receives from him an allowance of
Rs. 150/- a month for attendance on the Muscat Infantry together with an allowance
of the same amount from the Muscat-Matrah Municipality for acting as their
Health Officer.
(k) Nationality and Passports
108. There is no nationality law in Muscat and it would appear that a
foreigner can only become a Muscat subject by applying for and receiving a
Sultanate passport. At the time of the transfer of power in India there were about
600 Hindus and 1,200 Khojas and Aghakhanis in Sultanate territory most of whom
were treated as British subjects or protected persons. The former who have always
had their roots in India have all adopted Indian nationality. The latter who for
the most part have been domiciled in Sultanate territory for several generations are
hesitating to adopt either Muscat or Pakistan nationality and endeavouring to
obtain recognition as citizens of the United Kingdom and the Colonies, a status for
which few of them appear to be eligible at present.
109. The Sultanate issues its own passports. The Sultan has delegated to
British passport issuing officers authority to grant visas for Muscat to persons subject
to Her Majesty’s full jurisdiction (paragraph 85 above) without reference to the
Muscat Government. In all other cases a reference has to be made to the Muscat
Government unless the applicant holds a no objection certificate from that
Government or a valid residential permit stamped on his passport. The Sultan has
refused to adhere to an informal agreement reached between the Gulf Shaikhdoms
whereby a subject of one Shaikhdom may visit another Shaikhdom without
obtaining a visa provided he is in possession of a valid travel document, and has
only agreed to permit subjects of the Trucial Shaikhdoms to visit Muscat without
first obtaining visas. In 1952 he issued an order that foreigners arriving in Muscat
territory must register with the police or other local authority within 48 hours of
arrival.
(,3‘) P.R. toF.O. 17943/12/52 of November 22. 1952 (EA 1794/5 of 1952).
(,3T) P.R. toF.O. 17943/14/52 of December 22. 1952 (EA 1794/6 of 1952).
(“•) P.R. to F.O. 17910/28/51 of May 16. 1951 (XS 10/91 K 3/351 of 1951).