Correspondence and other papers relating to visits made by Europeans and Americans to Saudi Arabia, and specifically to Riyadh:A visit made in 1937 by Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Richard Patrick Dickson, former Political Agent at Kuwait, reportedly in his capacity as a representative of the Kuwait Oil Company. The papers include English translations of press reports of the visit as reported in various Arab newspapers, including the Baghdad newspaper
Al-Kifah, the Cairo newspaper
Al-Mukattam[
Al-Muqattam] and the
Wakalat-ul-Sharq Al-Arabia(ff 3-16).Dickson’s request to the Political Resident to visit the Ruler of Saudi Arabia Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] in December 1938, and the Ruler of Kuwait’s [Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ] strong objection to the visit (ff 18-28).Lord Alington’s [Captain Napier George Henry Sturt] visit to Ibn Saud in April 1939, including notes on his visit, and demi-official letters exchanged between the Political Agent at Kuwait (Major Charles Crawshaw Galloway) and the Political Resident (Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven William Fowle) commenting on Alington’s description of Ibn Saud (ff 27-37).Correspondence dated 1942 between the Political Agent at Kuwait and the United States military relating to unauthorised entry into Saudi Arabia by foreigners (ff 41-42).A note written by the Political Agent at Bahrain (Edward Birkbeck Wakefield), dated 5 April 1943, on wartime conditions in Saudi Arabia, based on reports received by Dr Harold Storm and Gerrit Dirk Van Peursem, both of the American Mission at Bahrain, following their medical tour of Saudi Arabia (f 44).Correspondence dated August 1943 relating to a visit to Ibn Saud by Lieutenant-Colonel Harold B Hoskins, personal envoy of US President Roosevelt (ff 45-54).1 file (58 folios)The file’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest item at the front to the latest at the end.Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 60; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
This file contains correspondence between the British Political Agent at Bahrain; the British Political Resident in the Persian Gulf at Bushire; Major C C L Ryan, Secretary to the Political Resident at Bushire; and S G Murteza, Assistant Engineer, Persian Gulf Independent Sub-Division, Bushire.Folios 1-12 concern the poor quality of work undertaken at the Bahrain Political Agency in May 1935 by Mr Muhammad Ishaq, Overseer, Public Works Department;Folios 13-16 concern the consideration of Pardhan Singh and Abdul Wahab, Persian Gulf Sub-Division Overseers, for the post of Assistant Engineer at Bushire;Folios 17-22 concern the abolition of the Persian Gulf Independent Sub-Division of the Public Works Department during the period of the Second World War and the release of S G Murteza for military service.1 file (25 folios)Foliation: The foliation sequence runs from the first page following the front cover to the last page before the back cover; it appears in pencil in the top right corner of the recto side of the folio and is uncircled.
This file contains two letters listed in the file notes at the rear of the file. The first, on folio 4, dated 30 March 1933, is from Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Gordon Loch, Political Agent at Bahrain, to Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven Fowle, the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, concerning persecution of Shiahs in Hasa [al-Aḥsā’] and complaints by Shaikh Ali bin Hasan al Musa [‘Alī bin Ḥasan al-Mūsá], the Shiah Qadhi [Qadi] of Sinabis [Sanābis, Bahrain], and Yusif bin Rustam [Yūsuf bin Rustam], a resident of Sanābis, regarding the alleged appropriation of their fish traps at Qatif [al-Qaṭīf]. The second, on folio 5, dated 5 March 1950, from the British Embassy at Jeddah, to the Cornelius James Pelly, Political Agent at Bahrain, concerns reports of a Bahraini having been flogged to death at al Khobar [al-Khubar] for the offence of playing the lute.There are two additional folios in the file which are not referenced in the file’s notes. Folio 2 is a letter, dated 28 November 1914, from Major Percy Zachariah Cox, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf at Busreh [Basra], to Captain Terence Humphrey Keyes, Political Agent at Bahrain, recommending Shaikh Abdulla [‘Abdullāh Āl Khalīfah or Āl Thānī?] for a CIE [Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire] honour on 1 January 1915. Folio 3 is a note by the Political Agent at Bahrain, dated 26 June 1915, regarding taxes on date gardens in al-Qaṭīf owned by Abdur Rahman Zayani [‘Abd al-Raḥmān al-Zayānī], Yousuf bin Abdur Rahman Fakhroo [Yūsuf bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān Fakhrū] and Jasem bin Jodar [Jāsim bin Jūdar].1 file (5 folios)The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. Circled serial numbers (red for received correspondence; blue for issued correspondence) refer to entries in the notes at the rear of the file.Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover and terminates at the inside back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present between ff 3-6; these numbers are also written in pencil and can be found in the same position, but they are not circled.
This file is entitled 'Activities of Saudi Arabians in Doha'; however, it concerns the activities of Saudi Arabians in Bahrain. The file includes correspondence between Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Gordon Loch, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; Captain George Ashmead Cole, Political Agent at Bahrain; and Charles Dalyrmple Belgrave, Adviser to the Bahrain Government.Correspondence between 1934 and 1935 concerns a Saudi proclamation (
i‘lān) posted on a wall in the Manama Pearl Bazaar without the permission of the Government of Bahrain (ff 2-3); action regarding a Nejd [Najd] travel document issued to Mohomed Ali [Muḥammad ‘Alī bin ‘Īd] and signed by Shaikh Mohomed al-Tawil [Muḥammad al-Ṭawīl], a Saudi official accompanying the Saudi Arabia Delegation in Bahrain (ff 4-8); and a case involving a Saudi subject charged with importing a rifle into Bahrain and selling it at Muharraq, plus a subsequent letter from Hamad Sulaiman [Ḥamad bin Sulaymān], a member of the Saudi Arabian Delegation in Bahrain, to Shaikh ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah regarding the matter (ff 9-13). The remainder of the file (ff 14-25) consists of copies of correspondence between the Political Resident and the India Office with regards to the issue of the flying of the Saudi Arabian flag by the Trade Agent of ‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd [Ibn Saud] on Fridays at Kuwait, and how this issue pertains to the other Shaikhdoms of the Persian Gulf, including Bahrain.Notable Arabic documents include the aforementioned proclamation, dated 23 Sha‘bān 1353 [1 December 1934], concerning plans by the Government of Saudi Arabia to offer to carry fifty pilgrims in motor cars from Hasa (al-Aḥsā’) to Mecca and Medina (f 3), with a partial translation appearing on folio 25; and the aforementioned travel document (
tadhkirat huwīyat al-musāfir) issued by the Government of Saudi Arabia and including the stamps of the passport offices of Qatif [al-Qaṭīf] and Bahrain (f 5).1 file (27 folios)The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. File notes appear at the rear of the file.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover and terminates at the inside back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 1-24; these numbers are also written in pencil, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence, but they are not circled.
This file concerns possible anti-Saudi activities in the Persian Gulf. It contains correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf at Bushire, the Political Agent at Bahrain, and Charles Dalrymple Belgrave. In addition, there are copies of correspondence with Sir Andrew Ryan, Albert Spencer Calvert and Sir Reader Bullard of the British Legation at Jedda.The correspondence of 1933 (ff 2-20) concerns suspicions that Khalid Ibn Hithlain [Khālid bin Muḥammad bin Ḥithlayn] of the Ajman tribe proposes to enter Nejd [Najd] with 'evil intent' from Kuwait or Bahrain. Included are details of a meeting between the Political Agent and Shaikh Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah who doubts that Khālid would consider Bahrain as a location for buying supplies or as a staging ground for an attack, but instead suspects that he might be acting in collusion with an enemy of ‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd [Ibn Saud], for example, his brother, Muḥammad bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān Āl Sa‘ūd (ff 3-6). In addition, there are copies of personal letters on the same subject between Fuad Hamza, [Fu’ād Ḥamzah], Ryan, Calvert and Amir Faisal [Fayṣal bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd] (ff 14-20).A copy of a letter, dated 12 April 1939, from the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to Sir Reader Bullard, concerns a meeting between Sir Lancelot Oliphant and Faysal regarding the potential threat to Saudi Arabia from Nazi Germany, the likelihood of the incorporation of Koweit [Kuwait] into Iraq, and British rule of the Persian Gulf (ff 21-23).File notes at the rear of the file (ff 24-26) include brief genealogical and biographical details concerning Khalid, as well as the Ajman tribe.1 file (25 folios)The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. File notes appear at the rear of the file.Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
This file concerns the circulation of currency between Saudi Arabia, the Persian Gulf and India. The file contains correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf at Bushire; the Political Agent at Bahrain; Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, Advisor to the Government of Bahrain; C W F Skrimshire and M Gunn, the Eastern Bank Limited, Bahrain; Yousuf bin Ahmed Kanoo [Yūsuf bin Aḥmad Kānū]; the Residency Agent, Sharjah. There is also correspondence from the India Office and the Government of India, which has been forwarded to the Political Agent by the Political Resident.The correspondence for 1935-36 (ff 3-21) concerns the import of large quantities of Indian rupees into Saudi Arabia via the port of Jedda and Persian Gulf ports, due to the Saudi government’s preference of paying officials and tribal subsidies in rupees instead of dollars. The essence of this situation is explained in a report by Loch, entitled 'Note on the Rupee-Maria Theresa Dollar position in Najd, Hasa and Bahrain', sent to the Political Resident on 3 March 1936. The correspondence for 1939-40 (ff 22-49) concerns further abnormal exports of rupees from Bahrain to Kuwait and Hassa (al-Aḥsā’) due to a lack of confidence in the stability of the Saudi Arabian riyal as a result of the Second World War; also discussed is the possibility of an embargo being placed on the export of rupees from India to Saudi Arabia and the impact that that would have on the Trucial Coast states and Qatar. The final section of correspondence for the year 1944 (ff 50-55) concerns a request from ‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd (Ibn Saud) for the British government to send senior military and financial experts, preferably Sunni Muslims, to Saudi Arabia to aid the establishment of an army and reorganise the financial structure of the state.1 file (60 folios)The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. File notes appear at the rear of the file.Foliation: the main foliation sequence commences at the front cover and terminates at the back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-61; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
This file contains correspondence reporting on visits to ‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd (Ibn Saud) undertaken by Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Vincent Biscoe and Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Geoffrey Prior in 1932 and 1946 respectively.The report of Prior's visit (ff 2-9), dated 5 February 1932, is sent to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Sir Philip Cunliff-Lister, and copied to the Political Agent at Bahrain. Details of his journey are included, as well as meetings with Yusuf Yasin [Yūsuf Yāsīn] and Ibn Saud, with discussions concerning the Kuwait blockade, emergency landing grounds in Hasa [al-Aḥsā’], and the latter's administration and financial difficulties. The report is followed by a letter, dated 16 February 1932, forwarding translations of letters exchanged between Biscoe and Yusuf Yasin on 28 January 1932 (ff 11-14).The report of Prior's visit (ff 15-19), dated 13 May 1946, is sent to Hugh Weightman, Secretary to the Government of India in the External Affairs Department, and copied to Lieutenant-Colonel Arnold Crawshaw Galloway, Political Agent at Bahrain. Details of his journey are included, as well as meetings with Abdullah al Sulaiman [‘Abdullāh al-Sulaymān], Finance Minister; Harry St John Bridger Philby; Hafiz Wahba, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Britain; and Ibn Saud. Discussions concern Ibn Saud's health, various aspects of regional and international politics (including Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and the Indian independence movement, the Arab League and the Persian Gulf states, Iran, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), Indian visas for Saudi Arabian subjects, and foreign advisors. The report also includes a number of reminiscences of, and comparisons with, a visit to Ibn Saud which was undertaken fifteen years previously.1 file (19 folios)The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. File notes appear at the rear of the file.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover and terminates at the back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-19; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
This file concerns the exchange of postal services between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and covers:1932-1933 (ff 2-30): the conveyance of post between Hasa [al-Aḥsā’] and Bahrain, as well as between Hasa and other foreign countries via Bahrain;1934 (ff 31-43): Saudi Posts, Telegraph and Telephone Department establishing a daily mail service between Bahrain and Hofuf [al-Hufūf] and Katif [al-Qaṭīf];1933-1934 (ff 44-51): use of Arabic language in the wording of the 'Bulletin de verification' (ff 44-51);1935 (ff 52-61): the exchange of mails between Bahrain and Hofuf and Katif and the discontinuance of the use of the term 'Agent of Hofuf at Bahrain' (ff 58-61);1940 (ff 62-69): the conveyance by air or surface of letters for the outside world by air or sea mail, which it is stated must be posted at Al Khobar [al-Khubar] with Saudi Arabian stamps (ff 62-69).The correspondents in the file include: the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf at Bushire; the Political Agent at Bahrain; the Superintendent of Post Offices, Lower Sind and Persian Gulf in Karachi; and the Postmaster at Bahrain.1 file (69 folios)The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. File notes appear at the rear of the file.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover and terminates at the back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-33; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
This file contains correspondence between British officials in Bushire, Bahrain, and Sharjah.Topics include:The visit of Lady Willingdon to Sharjah.A raid by Manasir tribe and murder of the Amir of Khan village.Diving on the Trucial Coast and measures to improve the living conditions of the divers. Includes translation of letters from Shaikh Sa'id bin Maktum, ruler of Dubai to the Residency Agent, Sharjah; and from Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, Adviser to the Government of Bahrain to Political Agent, Bahrain.The building of a fort by the Sheikh of Sharjah.A pilgrimage to Mecca by Sheikh Abdullah, Sheikh of Qatar (1940).1 volume (61 folios)The papers are arranged chronologically from the front to the rear of the file. There are file notes at the back of the file explaining how the file is arranged.Foliation: This consists of pencil numbers, located in the top right hand corner of the recto of each folio. The foliation sequence commences on the front cover and concludes on the last folio before the back cover.
Most of the correspondence concerns succession at Dubai:Letter from Residency Agent Shargah [Sharjah] No. 13, 10 April 1894 informing Resident of death of Shaikh Rashid bin Maktoom [Rashid bin Maktum].Letter from Maktoom bin Hasher [Maktum bin Hashar] of 12 April 94 informing Resident of his having succeded his uncle.Report to Government No 39 12 May 1894 - correspondence about treatment by the new chief of the sons of Rashid bin Maktoom, the deceased chief.Death of Shiekh Maktoom bin Hashar and succession of Sheikh Buti bin Suheil [Butti bin Suhayl].a letter 27 July 1929 from the Political Resident Persian Gulf to Shaikh Said bin Maktum, Ruler of Dubai; Shaikh Shakhbut bin Sultan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi; Shaikh Rashid bin Humaid, Ruler of Ajman; Shaikh Sultan bin Salim, Ruler of Ras al Khaimah. The letter advises on succession process.There is a one page letter concerning the import duties made by the Shaikh of Dubai.Correspondents include the Residency Agent, Sharjah; Major Percy Zachariah Cox, Political Resident Persian Gulf; Sir Louis Dane, Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department, Simla; Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf. Sheikh Butti bin Suheil, Dubai.1 volume (20 folios)The papers are arranged chronologically from the front to the rear of the file. The file includes an index of important references.Foliation: The foliation consists of uncircled pencil numbers located in the top right-hand corner of each folio. The sequence commences on the front cover and concludes on back cover.
This file is a collection of correspondence between British officials in London, Delhi, Bushire, Bahrain, Sharjah and Teheran over the rights to mine red oxide on Abu Musa, an island in the Gulf claimed by Sharjah. The main correspondents are: India Office, Whitehall (John Gilbert Laithwaite); Shaikh Sultan bin Saqar of Sharjah; Political Resident Persian Gulf (Trenchard Craven Fowle); Political Agent, Bahrain (Gordon Loch); Senior Naval Officer Persian Gulf; Hajji Yusuf Kanoo (trader in Bahrain); Commander R.C. Bayldon; the Iranian Minister for Foreign Affairs.The correspondence relates to a contract for the mining of red oxide on Abu Musa. British officials helped facilitate the completion of the contract although the Iranians claimed the island as their territory and raised objections to the issuance of the contract. The final contract specified that Commander Bayldon will pay a minimum of 2000 Rupees a year in royalties to the Shaikh of Sharjah. The British warned Commander R.C. Bayldon that as it becomes known to the Iranians that he has taken rights to mining on Abu Musa that he will be barred from the higher quality Hormuz ore mines. The file includes a letter from the Political Resident Persian Gulf with a list of islands in the Persian Gulf 'known or presumed to contain Ferric Oxide'. The file is mostly in English with some letters in Arabic.1 volume (207 folios)Foliation: Foliation begins on the first folio of typescript and runs through from number 1 to number 139. Folio number 139 has been paginated in error so that it has the number 139 on its recto and 140 on its verso. The next folio has the number 141, meaning that folio 140 does not exist in this volume. The foliation sequence resumes at number 141 and continues through to number 208, which is the inside of the back cover of the volume. It should be noted that a letter sequence has been introduced to resolve an anomaly in the foliation sequence: previously, the number 43 was used to denote three separate folios; this sequence now reads as 43, 43A, and 43B. The foliation sequence is written in pencil in the top right corner of each folio.
This file contains reports and correspondence relating to the ownership of some islands in the Gulf, namely, the islands of Farsi, Arabi, Harqus, Al Karan and Al Kurain. The reports and correspondence are mainly between the India Office, London; the Foreign Office, London; Political Resident Persian Gulf, Political Agent Kuwait; Political Agent Bahrain; the Anglo Persian Oil Company. The discussion over the territorial status bears on whether the islands would come in the concession area of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company or Kuwait. One letter notes that if the ownership of the islands is undetermined up until that point this was of no importance; however, with the possibility that they may contain oil it was now imperative that they should belong to either Her Majesty's Government or to Kuwait rather than a foreign power. Therefore, the Shaikh of Kuwait is encouraged to erect beacons on some of the islands to support his claim to ownership. As the British were keen to avoid territorial disputes with Persia this was thought more unobtrusive than the raising of flags. There is also discussion over the island of Hawar and whether it belonged to Bahrain or Qatar.It also includes a translation of a letter from Shaikh Hamdan bin Zayed [Shaikh of Abu Dhabi] to Colonel Stuart Geoge Knox, Political Resident Persian Gulf, a small hand drawn sketch map showing location of a village on Dalma Island with H.M.S.
Foxanchorage position (folio 3), and a table on sources of oil supply to Britain in the years 1935, 1936 and 1937.1 volume (204 folios)The papers are arranged chronologically from the front to the rear of the file.Foliation: The sequence consists of small circled numbers located in the top right hand corner of the recto of each folio, commencing on the first full page of text.