Persian Gulf—Iraq Petrolium Company Ltd. | Handbook, London, 1948, first edition, original grey cloth

Persian Gulf, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the Trucial Coast—Iraq Petrolium Company Ltd.

Handbook of the territories which form the theatre of operations of the Iraq Petroleum Company and its associated companies. London: compiled in the companies' head office, 1948

FIRST EDITION, 8vo (216 x 135mm.), photographic frontispiece portrait of King Faisal I of Iraq, 13 plates printed recto and verso, folding map of "Middle East Oil Concessions", 5 maps in text, original grey cloth, very slightly soiled

RARE. Printed for members of staff of the IPC and its associated companies, with descriptions of the countries in the early years of oil production.

Chapter IV describes the Persian Gulf (pp. 60-77), including sections on the Trucial coast and Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait. Chapter III describes Arabia, chapter V Iraq, and chapter VI the Levant States (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Transjordan and Cyprus).

Qatar: “The population is scanty and wretchedly poor. The Company’s present operations supply almost the sole source of wealth in the territory. Dohah [sic] is the Shaikh’s capital and the only considerable village” (p. 69)

Trucial States: “The village of Abu Dhabi is situated on a barren island off the coast and is not visited by steamers. The Shaikh’s “palace” is the only presentable building and the water supply is very poor and food scanty” (p. 70)

Kuwait: “The town of Kuwait [is] almost the only permanent settlement… The Shaikh has, however, been fortunate in the discovery by the Kuwait Oil Company of oil deposits within his territory upon a major scale, and the development of these will assure the finances and prosperity of his State to an undreamed-of scale” (pp. 75-76)

Oman: “The double Government of Oman… has many inconveniences. The Muscat dynasty has free contact with the outside world; that of the Imam has none. The former seeks modern ways and wealth, the latter isolation and Religion. In neither do public services exist; in both the standards of life are of the most primitive… The territories of the Imam have been unvisited by Europeans, save on the fringes, for a century” (pp. 74-75)

Bahrain: “Its fall on evil days synchronised – fortunately for the otherwise destitute Bahrain Treasury – with the discovery of Oil in the central area of the island. This led, within less than 10 years, to the exploitation of an important oilfield, refinery and sea-loading station… The pre-existing local industries of making sail cloth, local craft and reed mats, and the breeding of white donkeys, have receded” (p. 67)