Page 386 - PERSIAN 9 1931_1940

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has been succeeded by his son, Sa’ud, a taciturn young man of some 25 years
of age, who is said to take an even stronger line with the bedouin than did
his redoubtable father.
(ii) The Indian rupee has been adopted as the local currency of Hasa
and Najd and considerable shipments were received in Jcdda apparently for
this purpose. The rupee is unpopular among the bedouin and smaller
traders who have lost by the change, hut the importers from abroad have
gained by it.
(iii) Large numbers of camels were said to have been purchased by Bin
Sa’ud during the summer for sums varying from 120—130 riyals.
(iv) Towards the end of the year Bin Sa’ud established a land registra­
tion department in the Hasa Province and was making arrangements to
(a) open regular courts, and (b) to establish a regular police force with 150
trained men. He also proposed to disarm the tribes. It is understood that
Bin Sa’ud wishes to see the reactions to these reforms in Hasa before intro­
ducing them in other parts of his dominions.
(v) The California Standard Oil Company have been prospecting for
oil in various parts of the Hasa Province. A test well was sunk at Damam
on the sea coast near Qatif and oil is reported to have been struck on the
27th August. Their operations appear to be much hampered by the pressure
of gas. The Company have offices at Jubail and A1 Khubar.
28. Qatar.—Events in Qatar have mostly centered round negotiations
between Shaikh ’Abdullah bin Qasim al Thani, Ruler of Qatar, and the
Anglo-Iranian Oil Company Limited, for the grant of an oil concession.
The Shaikh’s attitude in the course of the negotiations with the Com­
pany made it apparent in the early stages that Bin Sa’ud was trying to bring
pressure upon him. It was, therefore, considered necessary to remind the
Shaikh of his obligations under Article V of the Qatar Treaty of 1916 under
which he was not free to grant concessions or monopolies without the ap­
proval of His Majesty’s Government. This warning had effect, but the
Shaikh asked (a) for protection and (b) that his son, Hamad, should be recog­
nised as his successor.
After considerable discussions with the Honourable the Political
Resident, the Shaikh was informed:—
(a) that His Majesty’s Government were prepared to protect him from
serious and unprovoked attacks from beyond his frontiers and
to support him and his successors in internal difficulties aris­
ing from the presence of the Oil Company, and
(b) that His Majesty’s Government were prepared to recognise his
son, Hamad, as his successor provided he agreed to accept all
obligations under the Qatar Treaty of 1916 and provided that
the Shaikh agreed to convert the Treaty of 1916 into an “heirs
and successors” Treaty.
Subsidiary matters connected with “protection” included the construc­
tion of a landing ground and petrol store near Doha. The above conditions
were .agreed to by the Shaikh in an exchange of letters with the Honourable
the Political Resident and the Shaikh finally signed the Commercial Agree­
ment with the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company Limited on 17th May.
The question of defining the southern frontier between Qatar and Sa’udi
Arabia is under discussion with the Sa’udi Arabian Government.
29. Slavery.—13 slaves were manumitted by order of the Honourable
the Political Resident and one by order of the Political Agent, making a
total of 14 manumitted during the year as compared with 19 manumitted
during 1934.
30. Climate.—The summer of 1935 was exceptionally hot and humid,
and compared by those who knew it to the appalling hot weather of 1913.
G. LOCH,
Lieutenant-Colonel,
Political Agent, Bahrain.