Page 149 - The Origins of the United Arab Emirates_Neat

115
The Preliminary Oil Concessions:

the Trueial Coast from Hasa via Bahrain late in Novembe .
had delivered letters to the rulers from William Lenahai (
American representative of Casoc in Jeddah), and as
show him their files of correspondence relating to oil matters, n
had also asked the rulers to give him letters of invitation to Lenana
for a visit to the Coast, and went through other preparations
for a forthcoming tour of the Coast by Lenahan.33 T e ru ers
rebuffed Khan’s overtures, saying that they were already committed
to Petroleum Concessions.34 A further report from Fowle indicated
that Khan had told the ruler of Umm al-Qaiwain that, if he
doubted the sincerity of Lenahan, Ibn Sa‘ud would give him a
reference.35 Khan was put out of the Coast when it was discovered
that he had travelled on a Saudi passport. His British passport
was impounded, and it was seen that no British official would
grant him a visa for the Trueial Coast or Bahrain.36
Despite the failure of Khan’s mission, Fowle was worried that
the rulers did not completely believe his warnings about negotiating
with the California company, for there was little progress in the
talks with Petroleum Concessions. The only serious negotiations
were with Shaykh Sa‘id of Dubai, and there much confusion pre­
vailed. Shaykh Sa‘id was not on good terms with Frank Holmes
and asked for the participation of Hajji Williamson. The two men,
with headquarters in Bahrain, were able to make little headway
in the early part of 1937, and Loch, the Political Agent in Bahrain,
reported the chaotic situation with amusement:

Poor old Hajji Williamson, who is himself apt to be tiresome
at times, complained about the geologists’ hurry—they complained
of the length of his prayers—the geologists complained of Holmes—
Holmes complained of Hajji poking his nose into affairs that
had nothing to do with him and of the geologists’ lack of tact
(and incidentally misusing his furniture in his Bahrain house')—all
umted in complaining vaguely of their Company sending them
out into the blue without adequate instructions!! The Airways
Station was beset with sinister and furtive looking people. Money
chinked and the verandah was blocked by a^ toy motor car
(at which Hajji sniffed audibly) for the favourite Dubai baby'37

.mhpeednedg0bvat,h0r ^ ^ uSa‘id continued slowly and were