The Modern History Of Qatar

Modern State-building And

Preludes To Independence
The Reign of Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah, 1949-
1960
Lecture Themes
- How and why did the British work to increase their influence
over policy in Qatar?
- What was the effect of the appointment of the first British
political agent in Qatar?
- What was the role of the British advisor to the Emir in
Qatar?
- How did the administrative apparatus develop during the
reign of Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah?
- How did Qatar transform from a traditional emirate into a
modern state during this period?
 Key Transformations During The Reign Of Sheikh Ali Bin
Abdullah (1949-1960)

Qatar Entered A New Phase Of Its Modern History In The Second Half Of The
Twentieth Century.
1. Qatar's cash flow from revenues increased tremendously due to increased oil production and
exports.
2. A British political agent, John Wilton, based in Doha, was appointed in Qatar's modern
history for the first time. This meant that Qatar came under direct British protection. A British
advisor to the Emir was also appointed for the first time. His name was Philip Plant.
3. This period I witnessed profound transformations in the life of Qatar and the Qatari people.
The Qatari society was no longer a community of Bedouins and pearl divers. It changed
dramatically, opening up to modern civilization in all aspects of political, administrative,
economic, and social life.
4. Qatar started to engage in Arab affairs for the first time, especially during the Suez Canal
nationalization in 1956, when Qatari citizens demonstrated support for Egypt. Qataris also
became highly concerned with the Palestinian cause.
5. Qatar witnessed an administrative evolution, improving the services provided to citizens and
transforming Qatar from a traditional emirate into a modern state or emirate. There was also
significant population growth and improved health and education services.
 Growing British influence in Qatar 1949-1960

British influence grew in Qatar after the appointment of a political agent

in 1949. Before this date, Britain relied on its Bahrain-based agent or
even his assistant to oversee British interests in Qatar. The mission of the
British political agent in Qatar was the following:
Manage Qatar's foreign affairs as Britain becomes responsible for
managing Qatar's external ties with other countries. This significantly
intensified Qatar's connection with Britain.
Represent British interests in Qatar.
Undertake judicial tasks to try Europeans, Indians, and Pakistanis
(banyan merchants).
Look after the businesses of British nationals in Qatar.
 Increasing British Influence

After Sheikh Abdullah relinquished power to Sheikh Ali in 1949,

Sheikh Ali agreed with the British authorities to implement all treaties
signed by his father with Britain (1916-1935) and agreed to the
provisions that remained unfulfilled in the 1916 agreement, namely:

1. Appointing a British political agent in Qatar. Britain appointed John Wilton as

its first political agent in Qatar in 1949.
2. Opening the Qatari market to British merchants and companies.
3. Establishing mail and telegraph offices in Qatar.
4. Sheikh Ali asked for a British advisor. Britain welcomed the request and
immediately appointed Philip Plant as an advisor to the Emir. Plant arrived in
Doha in 1950 along with a group of British experts and professionals, including
a police chief, managers of water, electricity, public works, and postal services,
and engineers to manage telegraph, telephone, and post facilities.
 Administration of Qatar prior to Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah
Before Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah, Qatar did not have the structure of a modern state. It
was run traditionally with power concentrated in the hands of the ruling Sheikh and
senior men of his family.
The Sheikh, who ruled with the endorsement of the local influential people, was the
legislator, the executive and the judge at the same time. There were no written
legislations or laws that determined the ruler's policies. He relied instead on inherited
customs and traditions.
Although governance relied on the Sheikh's absolute power, the Sheikh still resorted to
ad-hoc councils comprising senior dignitaries, tribal elders and scholars to consult with
in some public matters relating to the management of the Emirate's affairs.
The Sheikh exercised his judicial powers through the appointment of Sharia judges, and
maintained justice and policing through his representatives.
The ruler customarily appointed a crown price, assigning him some tasks to train him for
administration. The rulers did not consider age a criterion in naming the crown prince
but rather considered his competence.
 Administration of Qatar before Sheikh Ali
Bin Abdullah
Regarding financial administration, there was no clear distinction between the
emirate's funds and Sheikh's.

Pre-oil annual income came from revenues that the Sheikh collected through taxation,
imposed on ships, pearl divers, deckhands and other sailors.
Customs duties and other fees that the population paid in exchange for protection.
The oil era began in 1949 and changed the situation, as oil revenues became the most
important source of income, in addition to customs duties.
British authorities asked Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah through the political agent to set up a
modern local administration in Qatar, but the Sheikh deferred this matter until oil was
exported and its revenues increased.
Britain then took advantage of its great influence to pressure the Sheikh into
implementing administrative reforms.
The goal was to improve the local administration in Qatar and the services provided to
the staff of the British oil company undertaking oil extraction.
 Britain's policy for establishing modern local
administration in Qatar
Britain planned to develop the Qatari administrative apparatus
through:

Investing oil revenues in infrastructure and public utility projects, the Sheikh
did not pay much attention to such projects then.
Differentiating between public and private revenues, and allocating one fourth
of income for the financial reserve fund, to finance the country's infrastructure
development, and address the crises that may face the country.
Using customs duties to collect financial resources by reassigning
administration of customs to the British advisor. Thus, customs directors
became responsible to the British advisor rather than the Sheikh.
The British advisor put pressure on the Sheikh to bring modern management
to Qatar, as it was necessary for the development of oil fields.
 Britain's policy for establishing modern local administration in
Qatar
Qatar began its transformation from a traditional Sheikhdom to modern
administration in 1950 following the beginning of oil exports in 1949
through four basic steps:

1. Establishing a local police force,

2. Drafting a budget,
3. Organizing local administration to create modern living conditions
(health and education services, water and electricity, roads and
markets),
4. Developing the judicial apparatus and regulating the judiciary.
 The establishment of the police force in Qatar

I: The first step in the organizing the administration was to establish a
local police force to maintain law and order.
Initially, the Sheikh trusted his men only, and refused British
intervention against his men or the riots that some members of his family
or his men staged.
The Sheikhs of Qatar relied on a special guard called Al Fadawiya,
consisting of men from the Bani Hajer and Bani Murra tribes. They were
used as a combat force and to maintain security and guard the Sheikh’s
person. Al Fadawiya force consisted of up to 400 men.
Al Fadawiya force was also used as a combat force to fight the enemy.
Initially, the Sheikh did not encourage expanding the police force and
continued to rely on his private tribesmen guards.
 The establishment of the police force in Qatar

However, with labor strikes in the oil sector, the Sheikh’s view changed
completely and he realized the importance of the police and the need to
expand the force.
In the early 1950s there were labor strikes because of deteriorating
living conditions of Qatari and non-Qatari workers.
A state of insecurity in Qatar would have led to the withdrawal of the
Shell oil company, which worked in oil exploration in Qatar. This would
have created a bad reputation and kept other companies from coming and
exploring, and subsequently not paying concession fees.
Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah agreed to appoint a British police officer,
Ronald Cochrane, as security chief in Qatar in order to institute a modern
police force in 1950. Cochrane made significant progress in preparing and
training a force of 140 men.
These men became the backbone of the police
force in Qatar.

This force did not include Qataris, as they initially

refused recruitment. Instead it consisted of Omanis,
Palestinians, and Yemenis.
 The establishment of the police force in Qatar
Shortly after, the force grew to 200 policemen, and included Qataris. By
1953, the number of policemen reached 312 in addition to 4 British
officers. The number of civilian staff in the police department also grew.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Qatar had a powerful security force
supervised by the British police chief. The force consisted of 1518
personnel, of whom 15 were British officers. The number of Qataris
working in the force had also increased.
Police stations were established in major areas.
The new security services asked all the foreigners in Qatar to register at
police stations that started to spread across the country. Every foreigner
who failed to obtain a certificate of registration would be asked to leave
the country.
 Financial Regulation And Qatar's First Budget
II: Financial regulation: in 1950 it was agreed to differentiate between
public and private revenues, and allocate one fourth of income to the
financial reserve fund to finance infrastructure and public utility projects.
Gradually and under British pressure, the administration grew as Britain
paid salaries of facilities' staff from the government's budget and not the
oil company.
However, British advisor Philip Plant failed to draft a state budget
because of his limited administrative and financial experience.
As a result, the British authorities and the Qatari government asked Plant
to resign.
A more experienced financial advisor named Hancock was appointed.
Hancock was a British administration employee in Sudan, where he
gained significant experience in management. His policy was balanced,
moderate and well planned.
 Financial Regulation And Qatar's First Budget
Hancock succeeded in setting Qatar's first budget in 1953.
Hancock also designed a new structure for administrative and financial
regulation in Qatar.
In 1954, Sheikh Ali visited London and the Queen of England awarded
him the title "His Highness“ to enhance the friendly relations between
the two countries.
In order to facilitate financial transactions in Qatar, the Eastern Bank set
up a branch in Doha and was inaugurated in 1949 by John Mackenzie. In
1954, the British Bank of the Middle East opened its branch in Qatar. In
1956, a branch of another British bank, Banque Ottomane (Grindlays
Bank) opened a branch in Qatar.
Talks were also held with British operators of mail, telephone and
telegraph services to open offices in Doha in order to upgrade means of
communication connecting Doha with the rest of the world.
 Infrastructure and facilities
III: The third phase of administrative regulation after instituting a police force and
drafting a budget:
The establishment of basic infrastructure, social services and civilian facilities under
the supervision of the governments of Qatar and Britain.
This opened the door to a flow of British engineers, doctors and experts to Qatar.
Because of the small population in Qatar and the need for manpower, Britain
convinced Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah of the need to bring foreign workers to work in Qatar.
The British also told the Sheikh that he had to stand up to continued family criticism
from his Al-Thani cousins.
A set of service-based projects were launched:
A new and modern Corniche in Doha.
A new port and docks in Doha to receive large ships and handle more loading and
unloading operations.
Development of water and electricity network designs, and the construction of the
first seawater desalination plant in Qatar in 1953 to meet the large demand for water
and cover the shortage.
 Infrastructure and facilities
The construction of a new hospital in Rumaila, which opened in 1957.
Planning to build a new formal school in Doha.
A fish, meat, and produce market.
Hancock paid particular attention to keeping state accounts properly.
Modern administration emerged in the 1950s and was more British
than Qatari.
It consisted of the British advisor and customs directors.
The judiciary departments, education, security, public health, public
and municipal works, and transportation were all headed by British
directors.
British experts and technicians assisted them.
This administration was independent of the traditional governing
authority.
 Education in Qatar
1913: Sheikh Abdullah sponsored the Athariya school: religious school
more advanced than the existing kuttabs
Sheikh Muhammad bin Abd al-Aziz al-Mani’ ran the school, he left for
Saudi Arabia in 1938 so the school closed.
I947: Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah sponsored the Islah-al-Hamadiya
school: curriculum-based school, stayed open for two years.
1951: First modern curriculum-based school in Qatar, Qatar Primary
School. Four primary classes, 190 students, Egyptian curriculum. Were
considered beginning of the modern education system in Qatar.
1955: National Education Committee established: appointed teachers,
established schools, and convinced people to send children to school.
The Education and Finance Ministries

1950’s and early 1960’s: there

were no government ministries in
Qatar.
1957: Education Ministry
founded as the first ministry in
Qatar
Early 1960 (before Sheikh Ali
abdicated): Finance Ministry
founded, led by Sheikh Khalifa
bin Hamad