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The Reform Movement of Dubai >57

lo bring about a reconciliation, ancl suggested that the arrangements
reached should be cancelled and a fresh start made under his
patronage.26 Wcightman .restored order when he arrived in Dubai
shortly afterwards; he sent word to Sultan bin Salim to go home
at once, reminding him of his recent disgrace when he had interfered
in the affairs of Kalba,27 and threatened to have him sent home
on a RAF vehicle if lie did not obey. He left the next day,
and for a time Dubai was comparatively calm.
But Sa‘id did little to keep his side of the bargain with his
cousins, his only concession being the abolition of the monopolies
held by his immediate family. The Al-bu-Falasah began lo show
signs of restlessness, so on 24 September Sa‘id sent his brother
Jum‘ah to meet Wcightman and Fowlc in Bahrain and ask for
their support. Fowlc made it clear to Jum‘ah that the matter
was internal, and that Britain could in no way interfere.28 He advised
that Sa‘id give in to the demand for reform, and reiterated that
the shaykh would be considered personally responsible for any damage
to British life and property.29 Sa‘id denied that he had promised
to introduce reforms, and desperately warned the Resident that
he would not be responsible for the safety of British lives if fighting
were to break out. In the meantime, he also appealed to the
rulers of Abu Dhabi and Qatar for arms and ammunition, but
they declined to respond.
The town of Dubai then gradually divided into two armed camps:
Shaykh Sa‘id and his followers on the Dubai side, and the Al-bu-Fala-
sah on the Dayrah side. By 8 October, the latter were able to
occupy the Dayrah customs house,30 and showed signs of gaining
more. The same day a sloop arrived in Dubai to protect British
property, for Wcightman had already written to both sides giving
the usual warning about British interests.31 The dispute caused
great interest and concern throughout the area, as shown by the
attempts of the rulers of Sharjah and Ras al-Khaimah to become
involved; the concern was prompted by fear of the obstruction
that would be caused to trade if Dubai were to become a battlefield.
A further attempt to restore order in Dubai was made, this time
with positive results, by neighbouring leaders. On 9 October, Shaykh
Shakhbut of Abu Dhabi, Shaykh Muhammad bin ‘Ali bin Huwayydin
of the Bani Qitab and a third, unidentified shaykh arrived in Dubai
in order to try to arrange some form of peace. They arranged
for a five-day truce, starting on the day of their arrival, and
then attempted to reach a settlement between the two parties;
this ended in deadlock, for the Al-bu-Falasah insisted on the formation
of a representative council like that recently established in Kuwait,
with executive and administrative powers.32 By the time Weightman
arrived in Dubai, on 15 October, the position of the ruler had