IOR/R/15/2/1564

Correspondence exchanged between the Political Agency in Bahrain and various governmental, commercial and military institutions in Bahrain, aimed at gathering a consensus on the standardisation of time in Bahrain, and the establishment of a set local time in relation to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Organisations consulted include: the Government of Bahrain (represented by the Adviser to Government, Charles Dalrymple Belgrave); the Victoria Memorial Hospital; Gray, Mackenzie and Company; Eastern Bank Limited; British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC); the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO); Cable and Wireless Limited; Petroleum Concessions Limited; California-Arabian Standard Oil Company; and British naval and army representatives.

Correspondence dated 1940 consists of replies from organisations responding to an enquiry made by the Political Agent regarding the time, relative to GMT, that they used (ff 2-8). Correspondence dated 1941 relates to the Political Agent’s invitation of views from institutions over the introduction of daylight saving hours in Bahrain, the subsequent proposal to adopt a local time zone of 3 hours and 30 minutes ahead of GMT, and its implementation from 1 August 1941 (ff 9-42). Correspondence dated 1943 relates to proposals put forward by the Bahrain branch of BOAC, for Bahrain Local Time to be advanced to 4 hours, or 4 hours and 30 minutes ahead of GMT, and the subsequent adoption of 4 hours (ff 43-53).