Page 139 - The Origins of the United Arab Emirates_Neat

Establishment of the Air-Route 105

places for a night-stop, and Imperial Airways considered Umm
al-Qaiwain and Dubai as possibilities for another night-stop. The
former was considered first, and Shaykh Ahmad bin Rashid was
approached for permission to survey his territory. After a good
deal of persuasion, he agreed, but stipulated that the surveying
party remain at Umm al-Qaiwain for no longer than fifteen days.
Fowlc retorted that, if the party found it so necessary, it would
stay longer than fifteen days, and that Ahmad and his people
would be held responsible if anything untoward occurred ; the Resi­
dent refused to allow any shaykh to dictate his terms, always
afraid of the detcrimental effect it would have on British prestige.
He planned, if Ahmad bin Rashid remained obstructive, and if
the surveying party were obliged to remain at Umm al-Qaiwain
for longer than fifteen days, to inform the ruler that ‘certain local
pressure would be brought to bear against him and his people’;57
if this warning proved insufficient, he would send a sloop to capture
the pearling fleet of Umm al-Qaiwain. A few weeks later the
Political Agent in Bahrain warned Ahmad of the ‘local pressures’,
and hinted at the possibility of the seizure of the pearling fleet.
It had the desired effect, for Ahmad gave his permission;58 the
surveyors, however, found Umm al-Qaiwain unsuitable for a landing
place, and an alternative had to be found.
Dubai was finally chosen: its natural facilities, combined with
its proximity to the existing airport and rest-house at Sharjah were
the determining features. At first there was little opposition, for
on 22 July 1937 Shaykh Sa‘id bin Maktum signed an agreement
for one year in which he undertook to provide the required facilities
for a charge of 440 rupees per month on the understanding that
any buildings to be used would be paid for separately.59 Thus
the passengers of the flying-boats which started to arrive at Dubai
in August 1937 were taken to the rest-house at Sharjah, where
they spent the night, and whence they returned the next day
to proceed with their journey. In order to ensure the safety of
the passage from Dubai to Sharjah and back, Shaykh Sa‘id and
Shaykh Sultan each signed an agreement (on 17 and 18 September
1937, respectively) in which they promised to be responsible for
the safe conduct of the passengers.
The renewal of the agreement with Dubai did, however, present
a few problems, for in February 1938 Shaykh Sa‘id made it clear
that, instead of 440 rupees, he wanted 1000 rupees a month. In
March, after the forcible eviction by Fowle of two gun-runners
from Dubai,60 Sa‘id was angry and said he would not be prepared
to renew the agreement. Despite Fowle’s suggestion that Ras al-Khai-
mah be considered as an alternative, the Air Ministry wished to
continue the night-stop in Dubai. Accordingly, Weightman, the