IOR/R/15/2/1550

Correspondence, some of a demi-official nature, relating to visitors and guests at the Political Agency at Bahrain. Most of the correspondence is routine, and relates to enquires and arrangements for the arrival and departure of visitors, and in some cases the provision of accommodation and facilities (sports facilities, or dinner at the Agency). Many of the guests were British Government officials, Royal Air Force (RAF) or Royal Naval officers, who were either stopping off at Bahrain, or passing through the Gulf, either by air or steamship, between London and India.

Notable visitors included: Sir Phillip Sassoon, Under Secretary of State for Air, in October 1934; Sir Andrew Ryan, HM’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, making an official visit while travelling en route to Riyadh in November 1935 (ff 90-117); C Adrianse, Dutch Chargé d’Affaires at Baghdad and Jeddah, in November 1936 (ff 162-186); Abdurahman Al Tibeishi, Grand Chamberlain, travelling from Saudi Arabia to Karachi via Bahrain, to make purchases on behalf of the King of Saudi Arabia, Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdul Rahman al Faisal al Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] in July 1937 (ff 241-249); His Highness, Agha Khan, arriving at Sharjah by aeroplane, en route to India in November 1937 (ff 250-253).

A single note in the file (f 25) makes reference to a decision by Shaikh Isa [‘Īsá bin ‘Alī Āl Khalīfah] (r.1869-1932) to dismiss a cargo agent at Bahrain. The note is undated and not related to the rest of file’s contents. The note is likely of an earlier date than that indicated in the file’s date range, and has presumably been included in the file in error.