Page 71 - The Arabian Gulf States_Neat

INTRODUCTION 9
all the treaties and engagements entered into by the various Rulers, includ­
ing the Sultan of Muscat, were with the central British Government—
though in some of them the Government of India is also mentioned. When
the British decided to transfer power in India it would clearly have been
inappropriate to hand over responsibility for dealing with the Gulf Arabs to
Indians or Pakistanis.1
British political residency in the Arabian Gulf
The British Resident in the Gulf to whose name the word ‘Political’
was added in 1862, has, since 1 April 1947, been responsible directly
to the British Foreign Office. In 1946, the British Residency was re­
moved from its former place at Bushire, on the Iranian coast, to
Bahrain. The British Resident is ‘graded’ Ambassador in the Gulf
region. He attends to his responsibilities towards the Gulf States by
maintaining a number of representatives, referred to as ‘Political
Agents’, in Bahrain, Qatar, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In the other
Trucial Shaikhdoms he has political officers who are attached to the
British Agency at Dubai. British relations with Muscat are conducted
through a British Consul-General who is also, administratively, res­
ponsible to the British Resident in Bahrain.2 The duties of the British
Political Resident are, inter alia, to maintain, through his Political
Agents, close contact with the rulers and governments of the Shaikh­
doms and safeguard their political and economic interests and the
interests of the British Government ‘on the basis of the treaties and
agreements’ governing British relations with these Shaikhdoms.
According to Rupert Hay, the Shaikhdoms have independent control
over their internal affairs, but the British Government ‘ordinarily only
exercises control in matters involving negotiations or the possibility
of complications with foreign powers, such as civil aviation and posts
and telegraphs’. However, he continues, ‘constant advice and encour­
agement are . . . offered to the various Rulers regarding the improve­
ment of their administrations and the development of their resources,
mostly in an informal manner.’3
1 Hay, op cit., p. 18. And see U.N., General Assembly, 19th Session, Question
of Oman, Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Oman (A/5846), 22 January 1965,
pp. 116-17.
2 Hay, op cit., pp. 11-18.
3 Ibid., pp. 18-19. For a lucid description of the various important duties of the
British Resident in the Gulf, sec ibid., pp. 19-27. To mention only one aspect of
the Resident’s duties, namely his role in the conclusion of oil concession agree­
ments between the Rulers and foreign oil companies, Sir Rupert Hay says: ‘The
oil companies naturally bulk largely in the Political Resident’s portfolio. He has
closely to watch all negotiations for new agreements or the amendment of existing
agreements and to make sure that nothing is decided which will seriously affect
the position or the Rulers of the British Government. . . .’ The same author also
refers to what he terms the ‘Political Agreements’ to which, he says, the oil com­
panies’ are all bound . . . with the British Government, ... in addition to their
concession agreements with the Rulers---- ’ ‘One of the main objects of these’, he