"ملف 8/8 II التقارير الإدارية السنوية لوكالة البحرين" [و‎‎٨‎٤] (٧٢٠/١٦٧)

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4
It is of interest to note the rapid improvement in
physique and work value of Qataris after a few weeks*
Company messing.
The Company employs an Indian S.A.S. based on Dukhan
Camp where he has a small hospital. His services are in
considerable demand by the Shaikhs whom he visits at frequent
and regular intervals. The Shaikh has no medical facilities
whatsoever at Doha or anywhere else in his Shaikhdom apart
from this Company*s service.
It is interesting to note that the Shaikhs are realizing
the benefits of vaccination for small-pox and when an epidemic
broke out in Arabia large numbers of Qataris (mostly relatives
of the Shaikhs) were only too anxious to be done. There
were no epidemics in Q^itar during 1940.
(h) Security
Security was excellent. None of the Company convoys or
personnel was molested and travelling in Q^atar is probably
as safe as anywhere in the East. The Company employs some
thirty odd of the Shaikh’s personal adherents as guards
distributed over the camps at Zekhrit, Dukhan and No.2 Well.
The guards are supposed to accompany all vehicles moving out
side the camps.
In Doha, Company’s foreign personnel are not supposed
to walk in the streets or bazaar unless in company with one
or more of the guards. There is little doubt that the Shaikh
finds it convenient to keep up a pretence of insecurity in
order to justify his contention that it is necessary for the
Company to pay and maintain a large number of his followers.
In early days he talked glibly of over 1000 men under the
command of his son, Hamid, and doubtless dreamt of a private
army at Company expense. Crime in the Company camps except
for petty thefts of wood tools etc. is practically unknown.
The culprits are usually the Shaikh’s guards who are ostensibly
there to prevent such irregularities. The Company enjoys a
great advantage in that its locations are very far removed
from any villages or settled areas. It is contact with the
local population which invariably leads to trouble, as far
as the Company can observe the Shaikh’s relations with his
neighbours (except for Bahrain) are very amicable. The
Shaikh has a stock of at least 500 modern rifles with
correspondingly large amount of ammunition but so far he has
not found it necessary to take any rifles or S.A.A. out of
the boxes.
The Shaikh makes no effort to tax Bedouin nomads from
Arabia entering his peninsula and passing the Company area.
It is believed that he subsidises them with the result that
they show no inclination to resent the presence of foreigners
on their grazing routes.
Certain of the Shaikh’s brothers and their sons are
highly dissatisfied with their share of oil monies and this
is a potential source of possible internal trouble. So far
the resentment has shewn itself in the departure of some of
the younger members to Bahrain where they seem to be assured
of a sympathetic hearing.
While the old Shaikh lives internal dissatisfaction is
unlikely to become dangerous as although avaricious he
commands respect.