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INTRODUCTION
1960 the Ruler of Qatar, Shaikh AH ibn 'Abd Allah, who succeeded
to the rulcrship in 1947, abdicated in favour of his eldest son, Shaikh
Ahmad ibn Ali Al-Thani. However, there is now a real tendency in
some of the Shaikhdoms to choose any suitable successor to the
rulcrship from amongst the senior members of the ruling family with­
out necessarily this new successor being the son of the dead or retiring
Ruler.1 It is customary for the British Government, after the settle­
ment of the question of succession of a new Ruler in any of the
Shaikhdoms, to announce its recognition of the chosen Ruler at an
official ceremony held in the Shaikhdom concerned. At this ceremony,
which is usually attended by the Political Resident, or any of his
representatives, the new Ruler formally announces his intention to
respect and carry out in good faith the treaties and engagements of his
predecessor with the British Government.2
The system of government in these Shaikhdoms does not appear to
be based on any written constitution. Nor do there exist such institu­
tions as representative or elective legislatures of a kind normally
associated with the operation of non-autocratic governments. Legally
speaking, therefore, the Rulers possess exclusive legislative, executive
and judiciary powers in their own rights.

sent Ruler has, in turn, appointed his elder son, Shaikh ITamad, as heir apparent.
For the manner of succession to rulcrship in Kuwait in the past, see Political
Agency, Kuwait, Administrative Report for the Year 1921, by Major More, J. C.,
Political Agent (1922). For the Proclamation of the late Ruler of Bahrain appoint­
ing his elder son, the present Ruler, as heir apparent, see Al-Jaridali al-Rasmiyah
(Bahrain Official Gazette), No. 242, 6 February (1958). For the Ruler of Qatar's
abdication in favour of his elder son, presently the Ruler, see The Times, 26 October
1960.
1 This tendency is clear in Kuwait which has become a constitutional Amiratc.
According to the constitution, succession to the throne is limited to the ruling
family of Al-Sabah in the line of Shaikh Mubarak, the founder of the present
Amiratc. Similarly, in Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah the tendency appears to
be against restricting the succession to rulcrship to the sons of the dead or retiring
Rulers. Accordingly, in Qatar the heir apparent. Shaikh Khalifah, is a cousin of
the Ruler; in Sharjah, the former Ruler, Shaikh Saqr ibn Sultan, was deposed in
July 1965 by the council of the ruling family, with the express support and blessing
of the British Government, and his cousin Shaikh Khalid al-Qasimi, was appointed
as the succeeding Ruler; while in Abu Dhabi, the former notorious Ruler, Shaikh
Shakhbut ibn Sultan, was replaced on 6 August 1966 by his brother, Shaikh Zayid,
who was elected as the new Ruler by the unanimous decision of the ruling family
of the Shaikhdom. This decision had full British backing because Shaikh Shakhbut
had always obstructed the introduction of certain reforms in his very wealthy
country. For such developments, see The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited,
London, Quarterly Economic Review, No. 22, July (1965), p. 22; The Observer,
London, 14 August 1966; The Times, 8 August 1966.
2 For an account of British recognition of the succession of Shaikh Rashid ibn
Sa'id al-Maktum who became Ruler of Dubai in 1958, see The Times, 6 October
1958. And for an interesting description of ceremonies on the occasion of the
succession of a new Arabian Gulf Ruler, see Hay, op. cit., pp. 29-30.