Trucial States Development Office

This file concerns funding for the Trucial States Development Office (TSDO). It contains correspondence and memoranda relating to:

• The question of representatives of the Ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan visiting TSDO development projects to familiarise him with the work undertaken by the office
• HMG’s contribution of an additional £150,000 to the 1968/69 budget of the Trucial States Development Fund (TSDF) in support of an additional programme of expenditure, in particular the recruitment of an additional English language teacher in Dubai
• The question of Sheikh Zayed’s promised contributions to the 1968/69 budget and his belief that the Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum should contribute
• A visit by a representative of Visnews concerning arranging coverage of the TSDO
• HMG’s review of its aid policy in the Gulf
• The decision to maintain British contributions to the TSDF for 1969/70 and 1970/71 TSDF to ensure goodwill in the Gulf and a stable atmosphere in which to foster the proposed Union of Arab Emirates
• The question of a windfall contribution of £200,000 by HMG to the TSDF, and a debate about offering the sum as a ‘leaving present’
• The question of British contributions inducing further contributions from the Rulers
• The question of Britain’s aid policy after withdrawal
• The financing of a Five Year Plan for the TSDF with discussion of satisfactory forward planning and the possibility of external investment
• The possibility of loans to the Trucial States from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the question of the IBRD making loans to protected states
• The question of focusing the minds of the Rulers prior to the meeting of the Supreme Council of the Union of Arab Emirates
• The contributions of Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid to the 1970/71 budget of the TSDF, and the question of contributions from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and oil concessionaires
• Mahmoud Hasan Juma’s proposals for substantial funding for primary education in the Trucial States
• The possibility of Sheikh Zayed using non-cooperation with the TSDF to force an agreement on the Union
• The question of scholarships for students from South Yemen
• Sheikh Zayed’s proposals for the reorganisation of the Executive Committee of the Trucial States Council and HMG’s suspicions of his intentions
• A record of the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Trucial States Council
• A copy of the proposed budget of the TSDF for 1970/71, and opposition from the Ministry for Overseas Development (ODM) due to the budget's departure from the recommendations of the recent Trucial States Economic Survey
• The visit of A S Fair of the ODM to the Gulf to assess local circumstances with the view to the long term planning of development aid.