Page 54 - The Origins of the United Arab Emirates_Neat

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The 0ri&»s of the Unite,I Arab Emirates
to° the eAase whh'tS Sharjah: and-

the Trucial Coast hv * 1 °,UlCa ASem 1,1 Bahrain could visit
the Agency in Bahra aU ,r C ,P a.Cer lhat arca scmi-0flicially under
this in December O "2\ h C f0™*"* Rcsidc»c>’ Agent of
rather than R,, i • *932. lnstructcd him to report to Bahrain
lim t the nn 7 \n lhn ryturc " AlthouSh this did not necessarily
could h ,' OWCr ,° lhc, Residency Agent, i, did mean that Bushirc
akn a a c °jCr knowledge of the events on the Coast; it
also proved useful during the period when negotiations for oil conccs-
u T™ m pr°§rcss’ sincc the Agent in Bahrain and the Resident
in rSusnire were between them able to maintain a comprehensive
survey of the various developments.
One of the main questions that troubled the Government of
India with regard to policy decisions, and thus with regard to
increasing the number of officers in the Gulf, was that of expenditure.
It was financially responsible for all the Agencies on the Arab
side of the Gulf,51 and in view of the British Government’s added
interest in the area, wished to share the cost with London. Although
this was discussed, no decision was reached, and India continued
to pay for the establishments. In 1939, with the outbreak of war
in Europe imminent, the Government of India realised the need
to create an office to protect British interests on the Coast, and
in August sanctioned the appointment, should war follow, of a
Political Officer based in the Trucial States and directly responsible
to the Resident at Bushire. The first appointment was made in
October 1939; after World War II, the Political Officer became
Political Agent in Dubai.

The Political Agent in Bahrain

at „„„ ,hn Political Aeent in Bahrain became responsible for
"o.rr s ssvms
-

- a. a result of the estabhshmott othis r„pon!ibili,ic>
and the dtscovery Fow“ therefore Sted the Government
were very wide indeed, to assistant, to relieve
of India in .933 t° theAgency and so release him
him of all the the mL of the Trueial Coast”
to negotiate air agreemen had ; lcd from 1900 l°
V°he gp«. of Atr,S‘It- i« '«• Tn March

,905, and had bee wQu|d appoin, a temporary assistant, to
•w months; but this was later extended to a yea,.