Page 79 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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retainers. In 1942 Abdullah al Mubarak (paragraph 3 above) was appointed
Director of Public Security, in which capacity he assumed responsibility not only
for security arrangements relating to the issue of passports, the control of
immigration and the like but also for keeping order throughout the State outside
Kuwait Town. He thus became responsible for tribal affairs. Only a
comparatively small number of nomad Arabs can be regarded as subjects of the
Ruler but many tribesmen from Saudi Arabia and Iraq visit Kuwait territory when
the grazing is good. A useful and concise report on the tribes associated with
Kuwait was prepared by the Political Agent in 1927.(‘7) A force of police or
gendarmerie grew up under Abdullah al Mubarak which in 1953 numbered about
1,200 men. In 1949 he engaged three British police sergeants with previous service
in the Palestine police but used them entirely for the handling of cases in which
persons subject to the Order in Council were concerned. For training purposes
he employed a number of Arab officers who had previously served in the Palestine
police. In 1952 he was allowed to purchase ten armoured cars and the services
of a British officer and three non-commissioned officers were loaned to him for the
training of Kuwaitis in their handling. In 1953 he purchased 25 Bren gun
carriers.
28. In 1947 Ahmad had stated that he would be asking for the services of a
British police expert (paragraph 14 above) but nothing came of this during his time.
After Abdullah al Salim had agreed to the appointment of finance and customs
experts he was asked also to agree to the appointment of a police expert, but replied
that Abdullah al Mubarak should be approached on the subject. The latter refused
to agree to the appointment but eventually at the end of 1953 when alarmed at the
discovery of something in the nature of a Communist cell accepted the appointment
of a British Police Officer from the Sudan for the training of his secret police.(4‘)
29. Abdullah al Mubarak established a party of police under Jabir al
Ahmad (paragraph 3 above) at the oil company’s camp at Ahmadi. These police
functioned in the company’s residential but not their industrial areas, where the
company maintained their own watchmen or firemen. The company also had
their own security staff for the investigation of thefts and other cases. From 1950
onwards a certain amount of friction occurred regarding the division of
responsibilities and at the end of 1952 Abdullah al Mubarak asked the Political
Agent to withdraw the powers which had been given to six of the oil company’s
employees under the Special Police Officers’ Regulation^45) In November 1953 with
the concurrence of the Kuwait Oil Company the Political Agent wrote to Abdullah
al Mubarak informing him that Her Majesty’s Government had no objection in
principle to the abolition of the oil company’s Investigation Branch and the taking
over of its functions by the Kuwait Public Security Department, and suggesting that
the British staff of the Branch should be taken over by him. It was stated that
the company would wish to continue to employ about 45 men as firemen and
gatemen, and that there would be liaison between them and the Police.C0)
30. A separate force of Police numbering about 540 for security and traffic
control purposes inside Kuwait town is under the command of Subah, half brother
of the present Ruler and of Fahad. He is bitterly jealous of Abdullah al Mubarak
and lives in a state of perpetual umbrage because of the superior numbers and
equipment of the latter’s force.
31. At the opening of the period under review there were many Quranic
schools in Kuwait but it does not appear that the State took any interest in
education until 1936, when four Palestinian teachers were engaged. In 1938 there
were three boys’ and one girl’s school maintained by the Kuwait Government.
The boys’ schools imparted a form of secondary education and there were, in
addition, a number of Quranic and private preparatory schools. The Political
Agent reported that every boy and nearly every girl went to a school of some kind.
In 1942 the education portfolio was given to Abdullah al Jabir (paragraph 3 above),
who was assisted by a committee. In this year the Palestinian teachers were
replaced by Egyptians, the latter being supplied by the Egyptian Government who
paid half their salaries. By 1944 there were 12 boys’ and two girls’ schools
f") IO. toF.O. P. 1341 of March 21, 1928 (E 1517/1517/91 of 1928).
(4*) Tel. from Kuwait to F.O. 342 of November 3, 1953 (EA 1691/13 of 1953).
No. 1 of 1948.
(*•) Tel. from Kuwait to P.R. 306 of November 18, 1953 (EA 1646/8 of 1953).

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