IOR/R/15/2/599

This file concerns the movements of Wilfred Thesiger at the end of his second crossing of the Empty Quarter [al-Rub‘ al-Khālī]. Correspondence in the file is between the Political Officer, Sharjah; the Political Agent, Bahrain; the Political Resident, Bahrain; the Political Agent, Muscat; the Residency Agent, Sharjah; G W Furlonge and B A B Burrows, Foreign Office, London; and Richard ('Dick') Bird, representative of Petroleum Development Oman.

Details concern Thesiger’s arrival in Abu Dhabi on 16 March 1948 and his intention to proceed to Buraimi [al-Buraymī]; the preference of the Sultan of Muscat for Thesiger not to visit Muscat and the cancellation of his visa to enter the Sultanate of Oman; Thesiger's intention to collect plants and animal specimens at Buraimi and to travel from Abu Dhabi to Bahrain by dhow; Bird's desire that Thesiger should not proceed anywhere south of the village of Hafit [Ḥafīt]; Thesiger's legal status during his travels and restrictions on his movements; the retention of Thesiger's Bedouin and their raid on Bani Qitab; his arrival in Bahrain; requests by Thesiger for ammunition; concerns that he was responsible for raiding in Saudi Arabian territory; and his nickname 'Mubarak bin London'.

The file also includes summaries of intelligence gathered from Thesiger (ff 38, 42) and Bird's letter regarding Thesiger's presence in Buraimi (ff 54-55).