Political Development of Qatar (1913-1949)

The Political Development of Qatar (1913-1949): Era of Sheikh Abdullah Bin Jassim

Main Themes

• Political situation before 1916.
• The Protection Treaty 1916:
  • Reasons for the treaty.
  • Key articles of the treaty.
  • Reservations regarding certain articles.
• Implementation of the treaty, including Sheikh Abdullah's demands in 1921.
• British-Qatari negotiations concerning the airport.
• The oil privileges conflict.
• Renewing the protectorate in 1935.
• Impact of the Second World War on Qatar.

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Jassim (1913-1949)

• Third Ruler of Qatar.
• Born in Doha in 1880.
• Became ruler on July 17, 1913.
• Ruled for 36 years (1913-1949), a transformational period.
• Passed away on April 25, 1957.

Ottoman-Britain Treaty 1913

• Ended the competition between the Ottomans and Britain in Qatar.
• Signed in July 1913.
• Key provisions:
  • The Ottomans give up all rights in Qatar.
  • Qatar must be governed by a Sheikh from Al-Thani, with hereditary rule.
  • The Ottomans must not invade Qatar.
  • The British must not support Bahrain’s Sheikh if he attempts to invade Qatar.
  • Britain to protect Qatar from external forces by signing treaties with Saudis.
• This treaty was never ratified.

Dareen Agreement

• Signed in 1915 to avoid the dangers of King AbdulAziz Al Saud's growing power.
• British signed the Dareen Agreement (Al-Qatif) with Ibn Saud.
• King AbdulAziz Al Saud promised not to interfere in the affairs of Qatar and the Emirates under British protection.

Political Situation Before 1916

• Significant changes in Qatar's political scene:
  1. Ottomans recognized the end of their sovereignty due to World War I, formalized through treaties with Britain in 1913. The Ottoman military garrison exited Doha in 1915.
  2. Sheikh Abdallah bin Jassim became the ruler of Qatar in July 1913, leveraging his experience as governor of Doha.
  3. British took control of Qatar after Ottoman forces left in 1915, following 43 years of influence.
  4. Emergence of the Third Saudi State by King AbdulAziz Al Saud in 1902.
  5. On November 3, 1916, Britain signed a protection treaty with Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim, bringing Qatar under the Trucial States Administration.

Treaty of 1916

• Britain arranged many treaties, including the 1916 treaty, for several reasons:
  1. Flourishing weapons trade in Qatar and piracy in its waters.
  2. To combat the slave trade in the region.
  3. Emergence of new powers competing with the British in the Arab Gulf, including the United States, Japan, and Russia.
  4. British wanted to protect their interests, especially with British and American companies beginning oil explorations in the Gulf region.

Articles of the 1916 Treaty

1. Sheikh Abdullah would cooperate with the British to prevent the slave trade, piracy, and weapons trade.
2. The British would offer Qatar financial assistance and limited amounts of weapons annually. They would provide 500 rifles initially and the same amount each year, ensuring the weapons were not exported or sold and that the Sheikh’s subjects did not trade in them.
3. The Sheikh promised to protect British merchants and the British representative in Qatar.
4. Qatar was prohibited from relations with any other country without British approval.
5. The British promised to protect the Sheikh of Qatar in case of any attack from the sea.
6. The Sheikh would not grant any piece of Qatari land or make a concession without British approval.

Articles of the 1916 Treaty (Reservations)

• Sheikh Abdullah objected to articles 7, 8, and 9:
  7. Appointment of a British agent in Doha. Sheikh Abdullah was afraid of interference in Qatar’s internal affairs, which would decrease his domestic authority. He promised to consider it in the future.
  8. Allowing Indian merchants to enter the country as British subjects. Sheikh Abdullah explained that their entry would lead to competition with the local people regarding their commercial activities.
  9. Establishment of post and wireless telegraph offices. Sheikh Abdullah did not think the country needed these services at that time but promised to consider them in the future.

Comparison of Treaties: 1916 vs. 1868

Implementation of the Treaty

• Sheikh Abdallah requested several provisions from Britain in November 1921:
  1. British help if Qatar was exposed to internal threats.
  2. British assistance by providing cannons and rifles.
  3. British protection if Ibn Saud posed a danger.
  4. British recognition of his son Hamad as his successor and support for his ruling.
• Britain replied that it would not interfere in any internal affair unless Qatar was attacked by sea, as agreed in the treaty.

British-Qatari Negotiations Regarding the Airport

• In 1918, the British Royal Air Force (RAF) was founded, increasing the importance of the Arab Gulf emirates in British policy due to their location on the air route to India.
• In 1929, the RAF Ministry attempted to convince Gulf leaders to agree to build airports.
• These attempts faced strong objections initially, especially from the Sheikh of Qatar.
• The British signed the first airline agreement with the ruler of Sharjah, Sultan bin Saqr Al-Qasimi, in July 1932, and the first British plane landed in Sharjah at the end of that year.
• The discovery of oil in Bahrain in 1932 greatly increased British interest in the region.
• Negotiations between the British government and Sheikh Abdullah to build an airport in Qatar began in 1931 and 1933.
• Sheikh Abdullah initially refused to build an airport in Doha, but the British insisted on establishing an airstrip in Qatar, even proposing Dukhan as an alternate location.
• Sheikh Abdullah agreed on the condition that the British protect Qatar's security and defend the country from tribespeople who aimed to harm the country or attack the planes as they landed.
• The Airstrip was established in early 1934 in Dukhan, and the first British plane landed there in May, carrying oil experts and the political agent of Bahrain.

The Oil Privileges Conflict

• By the end of 1933, Britain reviewed their interpretation of the 1916 treaty and satisfied some of Abdallah's requests due to competition over oil privileges between Britain's Anglo-Persian Company and the American company Standard Oil of California.
• Britain incentivized the Anglo-Persian Company to obtain oil drilling privileges in Qatari lands.
• Sheikh Abdalla approved that Britain review the actions taken concerning the re-protectorate and the 1916 treaty.
• On December 14, 1933, Britain highlighted the importance of accurately determining the Qatari-Saudi Borders to avoid any problems.
• Sheikh Abdallah continued his bargaining with the British by using the issue of the oil privileges and his requests for military support.

Renewing the Protectorate 1935

• In 1935, Britain amended the treaty of 1916 and agreed to provide Qatar with the protection it needed in exchange for granting the oil privilege to the Anglo-Persian Petrol Company. This protection includes:
  1. The British would grant Qatar protection to obtain an oil concession for the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.
  2. This protection would apply to severe external attacks that the Sheikh was not involved in causing, either from the sea or the land.
  3. The Royal Air Force would offer protection from the air.
  4. Qatar would protect the British Air Force officers and their equipment within Qatari land and guarantee the safety of the airports and services.
  5. The British agreed to acknowledge the crown prince (Sheikh Hamad bin Abdallah) on the condition that he commit to the articles of the 1916 Treaty and confirm that the new treaties would apply to his successors.

Dukhan No.1 Well

• The first well, Dukhan No. 1, was drilled by Qatar Petroleum Company in October 1938.
• It reached a total depth of $5,685$ feet.
• It was completed for $5,000$ barrels per day on January 8, 1940.

Second World War and Its Consequences on Qatar

• Between 1939 and 1949, the Second World War impacted the Qatari economy and society. Some of these consequences include:
  • Oil drilling operations were stopped in 1942 by the British authorities to serve the empire during the war.
  • The Anglo-Persian Company for Petrol closed, leading to layoffs of workers.
  • The pearl trade and diving activities collapsed as world demand strongly decreased.
  • Rising cost of living and the spread of disease and famine.
  • On August 20, 1949, Sheikh Abdullah decided to resign and transferred the rule to his son Sheikh Ali ben Abdallah after the death of Sheikh Hamad.