Page 49 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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anxious to avoid entanglement in local politics, while at the same time the Bahrain
Government do not welcome too much interference by the company in its domestic
affairs.( 4I) They have been subjected to attacks, mostly undeserved, in the Bahrain
journals, and have not hitherto given sufficient publicity to what they are doing
for their local employees, but have now set up a Public Relations Office. They
treat their labour well and there have been few strikes. They maintain elaborate
cost-of-living statistics and between 1947 and 1953 raised their minimum wage by
successive stages from Rs. 2 to Rs. 5. Most of their local employees live in
their homes and transport is provided for them in each direction, the cost being
deducted from a transport allowance which is given to them in addition to their
wages. The company have recently built a school for them at Awali where
English, arithmetic and typewriting are taught and have started evening classes for
them in Manamah. Technical training is carried out “ on the job ” and some
assistance is also given to the Bahrain Government’s technical school. A thrift
fund has been instituted to which the company contributes the same amount as
the employee.
75. In the company’s pioneer days there were complaints that they were not
complying with their undertaking to employ as many British subjects as possible,
but since they established themselves this matter has been rectified. At the end of
1953 they employed in Bahrain 34 Americans as against 1,119 British including
Canadians, Australians, South Africans and Irish on their senior staff. Relations
between the communities are good though the British sometimes complain because
they are not paid at the same rates as the Americans.
76. In 1953 the daily production from the field was about 30,000 barrels and
the daily crude oil run to the refinery about 200,000 barrels. Payments to the
Ruler during the year were expected to amount to £2,575,000.

VI.—Relations with other States

(o) The Gulf States
77. The Ruler is on good terms with all the Gulf States except Qatar. He has
exchanged visits with the present Ruler of Kuwait and with his predecessor, and
the Rulers of the Trucial States usually stay with him when they visit Bahrain. His
relations with Qatar are conditioned by the position at the time regarding Zubarah
(Section III above) but apart from this he has a poor opinion of Shaikh Ali and
greatly resents his superior wealth.

(b) Saudi Arabia
78. In 1928 the compiler of the Historical Summary of Events 1907-1928
wrote: “ There is no evidence at the moment of a more positive interest in Bahrain
on the part of Ibn Saud: but there is little question that he and the Wahabi
movement and not Persia are the real danger, that as matters stand he is our
natural successor if we abandon our present position in Bahrain (and) that his power
is appreciated and feared by the Shaikhs.”(“2) This is still broadly true though up
to the end of 1953 the Saudis had shown no signs of any aggressive designs on
Bahrain and the only matters then at issue with them were the division of the
sea-bed between the two States and the ownership of the Bainah Islands (Section IV
(c) above). Personal relations between the Rulers of Bahrain and Ibn Saud and his
successor have been cordial. Salman undoubtedly reveres and fears the Saudi
ruling family and is anxious not to offend them but at the same time is unlikely to
concede to them anything which he regards as his by right especially if his attitude
has Her Majesty’s Government’s support. Ibn Saud visited Bahrain in 1930 and
1939 and Rulers of Bahrain visited him from time to time.
79. One Abdul Aziz al Qusaibi was until shortly before his death in
1953 the unofficial Saudi Trade Agent in Bahrain and in the early part of
the period under review he and his brothers controlled most of the trade between
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and committed a number of arbitrary acts. The
('••) P R. to F.O. Despatch 48 of June 15. 1949 (F. 7969/ 10111/91 of 1949).
(u>) Para. 39 al p. 71, P.G. 13.