Page 94 - The Origins of the United Arab Emirates_Neat

7<> The Origins of the United A rah Emirates

collect zakat and to establish a customs post in Shimayliyyah (he
was the sultan’s financial adviser), took no part in the negotiations
for peace, but described the events that preceded the settlement:

On ist May the Shaikh of Kalba took the initial step. Me
with 32 followers came down to Sahar to request the Sultan’s
adjudication in the dispute with Fujaira. II. H. [His Highness
the Sultan] pointed out that his, i.c. H. H.’s mediation had
small chance of success unless a similar invitation came from
the other side. Three days later this other invitation arrived.
It was brought by hand of the Shihuh Shaikh of Dibba, Salih
bin Muhammad, an ally of Fujaira’s, though subordinate to the
Sultan of Muscat.
The non arrival of the Shaikh of Fujaira in person was regarded
as an indication of Fujaira’s doubtful desire for a genuine settle­
ment. The Shaikh of Kalba and the Fujaira emissary having
said their say, departed from Sahar for their rival camps. The
Sultan at this stage despaired of peace, but his altitude was
one of unconcern On 19th May our party moved up
to Abu Baqra according to programme. Here events were to
prove more propitious. We were met by the Shaikh of Fujaira—his
first visit to Muscat territory for ten years—drawn thither no
doubt for fear of Kalba having got in first and won a powerful
ally by advocacy of one side of the ease. The Shaikh of Fujaira
cordially invited us to visit Fujaira and be his guests. That
same evening the Shaikh of Kalba arrived and pressed a similar
invitation upon us to visit Kalba. H. H. replied that so long
as discord divided them he would decline their hospitality. Both
Shaikhs then invited him to make a settlement, and the evening
of the 19th and the morning of 20th were spent in conversation.
Agreement was reached on 20th and signed by all parties.43

The basis of settlement was that both sides accepted to drop claims,
and that no inquiry into or reparations for the recent fighting
would be necessary. After the agreement had been signed, the
sultan and Thomas visited Kalba and then Fujairah. When they
reached Fujairah, they were surprised to find that on the same
day Sultan bin Salim of Ras al-Khaimah, Hamad bin Ibrahim
of Umm al-Qaiwain, ‘Abd al-Rahman bin Sayf of Hamriyyah and
‘Abdallah bin Ahmad (brother of Khalid bin Ahmad, ex-ruler
of Sharjah) had all arrived to mediate. The sultan confided to
Thomas that he found their related interest in the dispute curious;
he suspected that Hamad of Fujairah had appealed to them, in
order to counteract Sa‘id's request for help from the sultan. The
visitors, however, expressed their satisfaction with the settlement