Administration of Muscat

This file relates to the internal situation in Muscat and Oman regarding development and administration. It contains correspondence concerning:

• F C L Chauncy’s enquiries to the government of Zanzibar for possible suggestions on people to fill various posts in Muscat, from agricultural officers to tutors
• A report on agriculture in Muscat and Oman by the Director of Agriculture in Bahrain Aubrey Van Ollenbach. It includes appendices on: Experimental crops, proposed agriculture stations, agricultural machinery, the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) water analysis report, and a list of gardens owned by the Sultan of Muscat and Oman Saeed Bin Taimur; and J C Eyre’s comments on the report and the proposed scheme for agricultural development in central Oman
• Discussions between the Foreign Office, B A B Burrows, Chauncy and the Sultan on creating a more solid administration in Muscat and Oman, and the development and future of the Sultanate in general. It includes: the difficulty of convincing the Sultan to modernise and accept an increased financial contribution; the question of broaching this on the Sultan’s visit to London; the need for a modernised military, including an air force; the question of Gwadur [Gwadar]; comparisons of the Sultanate’s future to the situation in Jordan and the Aden Protectorate; the role Cities Service Oil Company’s revenues could play; and the proposal of a ministerial visit to engage more with the Sultan on development
• Chauncy’s regular updates on economic, political, and military events, and other sundry matters in Muscat and Oman
• The securing of better publicity internationally for the Sultan, with the suggestion of making use of Wendell Phillips
• A report on the pacification of Iraqi tribes by the Government of Iraq, and the question of the Kurds; and how this pertains to the situation in Oman
• Petroleum Development (Oman) Limited’s enquiries about their contribution to the Sultan’s military; and a discussion on the appointment of someone to inspect the men and equipment used by the Sultan.