"ملف ١/A/٣٧ I شيخ رأس الخيمة" [و‎‎١‎٨‎٨] (٥٦٠/٣٨٠)

Confidential .
No:0/143-1.a/37.
Political Agency,
Bahrain, the 2nd March 1955.
I'o?
The Honourable the Political Kesident
in the Persian u uif,
Bushire.
lour Memorandum «o:lS9-S dated the S4th January 1935.
Arab Custom of a tribe or community holding property in common.
2. An outstanding example is the A1 IChalifah (Bahrain
ruling family) custom that ensures that A1 Khalifah property
shall remain intact. If the A1 Khalifah Buler grants a portion
of the land of the A1 Khalifah to a member of the Family, on the
death of that member tne land reverts to the Ruler, who can then
(a) resume it himself, (B) re-grant it or portion of it to that
member 1 s heirs, or (c) otherwise redistribute it (but always
ii 1 Jtue A1 Khalii ah family ) • No A1 Khalifah land may be sold
or given away outside the A1 Khalifah family. Tnis custom does
no a, of course, apply to land which a member of the A1 Khalifah
family may have obtained by private purchase or other such means.
Ik is, however, curious to note that with the coming of
settled conditions, it is becoming increasingly difficult to main
tain this old custom.
3. The Sa*ud custom is said to be that the property in the
possession of any of the members of the family cannot be trans
ferred to an outsider. Even property given by the Ruler of the
State to a person outside the family reverts to the Sa f ud family
after the death of the person to whom the property is given and
his family cannot enjoy the same right.
4. The Residency Agent, Sharjah, states that on the Trucial
Coast the custom is tnat the family property reverts to that
/member