Library Guides: Historical Primary Sources: Middle East & North Africa: Arabian Peninsula

Regional

Arab Gulf Cities
Brings together key documents reflecting the history and development of the major cities of the Arab Gulf up to the 1960s.
Arabian Boundary Disputes
Call Number: Main (Gardner) Stacks DS227 .A724 1992
Arabian Boundary Disputes is designed as an historical and legal dossier on the development of the international boundaries within the Arabian peninsula, and includes material covering the Arabian peninsula's most critical territorial disputes: Iran-Iraq, Iraq-Kuwait, Bahrain-Qatar and Saudi Arabia-Yemen.
Arabian Boundaries: Primary Documents 1853–1960
This collection makes available copies of the several thousand documents which have determined the territorial divisions of Arabia today
Arabian Boundaries: New Documents, 1961-1965
These volumes highlight crisis points, negotiations and resolutions in boundary affairs. The 1964 volumes bear testimony to the continuation of long-established disputes such as the Buraimi question, and the disputes between Bahrain and Qatar, Iraq and Kuwait, and Muscat and the Aden Protectorate. The correspondence of 1965 witnesses an important stage in the evolution of the contemporary political map of Arabia, including the Saudi-Jordanian border agreement, the Qatar-Saudi Arabia boundary agreement, and agreement to partition of the Neutral Zone by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Arabian Boundaries New Documents, 1966-1975
Call Number: Main (Gardner) Stacks DS227 .A69 2009
Covers the intense period of diplomatic activity engendered by the announcement of the British Government, in 1968, of their intention to withdraw from the Gulf States by 1971.
Arabian Gulf oil concessions, 1911-1953
A documentary record of the negotiations between Arab Gulf rulers, the oil companies, and the British government, including the texts of the first land based oil concessions for Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, and Oman.
Arabian Treaties, 1600-1960
Comprehensive collection of treaties relating to the Arabian Gulf and peninsula.
ARAMCO reports on Al-Hasa and Oman, 1950-1955
Documentation on the geography and inhabitants of the province of al-Hasa, prepared for the Arabian American Oil Company.
The Buraimi dispute: contemporary documents, 1950-1961
This companion work to The Buraimi Memorials provides the evidence of the original historical and contemporary political files to set alongside the government submissions of the memorials.
The Buraimi Memorials 1955
Provides the arguments submitted to arbitration by the Government of Saudi Arabia and the British Government regarding a dispute over a strategic oasis.
The Expansion of Wahhabi Power in Arabia, 1798-1932
A collection of contemporary documents depicting the gradual spread of Wahhabism within the Arabian peninsula.
Gazetteer of Arabian Tribes
These volumes provide the broadest array ever assembled of English language historical references concerning approximately 745 tribes, tribal confederations and clans in the Arabian peninsula.
Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia
Historical material compiled to provide British agents and policymakers with information about the area. Originally issued as a secret document.
GCC states: national development records: civil aviation, 1920-1962
These documents trace the early days of civil aviation in the Gulf region and provide new material on the geographical, tribal, political, and diplomatic aspects of Arab history.
GCC states: national development records: communications and transport, 1860-1960
This collection traces the development of the modern network of communication in the region.
GCC states: national development records: defence, 1920-1960
Documents relating to the evolution of regional and local defence resources in the six members states of the Gulf Co-operation Council.
Islands and maritime boundaries of the Gulf 1798-1960
Records from the British Library and Public Record Office that trace the origins of contemporary maritime disputes in the Gulf.
Persian Gulf administration reports, 1873-1947
Call Number: Main (Gardner) Stacks DS326 .P43 1986 and online
Reports by British officials on a wide range of topics including the pearl industry, date cultivation, fisheries, and oil exploration and its social and economic impact.
The Persian Gulf Historical Summaries 1907-1953
Prepared in 1907, 1928, and 1953 as British government documents to provide a continuation of Lorimer's Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman & Central Arabia.
The Persian Gulf Trade Reports, 1905-1940
ISBN: 1852070501
These complete sets of annual trade papers include materials that were classified as confidential and not made available to the public. There are two volumes each for: Bahrain, Kuwait, Muscat, and Bushire.
Political diaries of the Persian Gulf
The volumes comprise the periodical political reports and intelligence summaries prepared by British political officers stationed in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Trucial States, and Muscat, as well as in Bushire, Bandar Abbas and elsewhere on the Persian (Iranian) side of the Gulf.
Records of the Persian Gulf pearl fisheries, 1857-1962
Covers the rise and fall of the pearling industry between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries.
Ruling families of Arabia
12 volumes of previously unpublished despatches, diplomatic correspondence and political reports concerning the origins, evolution and legitimacy of the dynasties ruling in the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia.
Treaties and engagements relating to Arabia and the Persian Gulf by Aitchison, C. U. (Charles Umpherston), Sir, 1832-1896
The original documents cited go beyond the formal treaties drawn up by the British Government, and include numerous undertakings made by local Rules, many being translated from the Arabic.
Water resources in the Arabian Peninsula, 1921-1960
Call Number: Main (Gardner) Stacks TD314 .W38 1998 and online
These volumes draw together the surviving historical records on the water resources of Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the Trucial States and Oman.

Documentary Studies in Arabian Geopolitics

Iran in the Persian Gulf 1820-1966
Focuses on political relations in the Persian Gulf region between Iran (Persia), Britain and the Arab states.

Iraq-Kuwait Dispute 1830-1994
The history of the two separate, and seemingly contradictory, territorial claims Iraq has maintained with respect to the state of Kuwait.

Lower Gulf Islands: Abu Musa and the Tunbs
Vital historical evidence pertaining to the status of the islands of Abu Musa and the Tunbs.

The Red Sea Region: Sovereignty, Boundaries & Conflict, 1839–1967
Documents the political and territorial changes within and between states bordering the Red Sea, or linked with it, including islands and European colonies.

South-West Arabia: Saudi-Yemen Dispute
The origins of political and territorial authority, and the course of inter-state relations and claims, in the area of the Saudi-Yemen border.

UAE: Internal Boundaries and the Boundary with Oman
The definitive documentary guide to the internal boundaries of the seven Emirates and the UAE-Oman boundary.

Bahrain

Bahrain government annual reports, 1924-1970
Annual reports prepared by the British Advisor to the Ruler of Bahrain until 1957, and then by Bahraini government officials.
Development plans of the GCC states, 1962-1995. Bahrain, Qatar
Reports in Arabic and English related to financial and development plans of Bahrain and Qatar.
Records of Bahrain primary documents, 1820-1960
A key selection of facsimile original British government documents detailing the history and development of Bahrain between 1820 and 1960.
Records of Bahrain, 1961-1965
A comprehensive selection of original British government documents detailing the history and development of Bahrain between 1961 and 1965.
Records of Bahrain, 1966-1971
The years 1966-71 are of particular interest to researchers because of the intense political and diplomatic activity engendered by the announcement of the British, in 1968, of their intention to withdraw from the Gulf States by 1971.

Kuwait

Development plans of the GCC states, 1962-1995: Kuwait
Development and planning documents for Kuwait in Arabic and English.
Kuwait political agency: Arabic documents, 1899-1949
This work makes available the mass of material in the Arabic language from the files of the British Political Agency, Kuwait preserved within the India Office Records in London.
Records of Kuwait, 1899-1961
A key selection of facsimile original British government documents detailing the history and development of Kuwait from 1899 to modern times. The set includes a map box containing 11 maps dated between 1910 and 1956, including a table of the Al Subah (‘Atbi) Ruling Family of Kuwait and a table showing the descendants of Mubarak I (ruled 1896–1915).
Records of Kuwait, 1961-1965
A comprehensive collection of facsimile original British Government documents detailing the history of Kuwait between 1961 and 1965.
Records of Kuwait, 1966-1971
Correspondence and reports of Britain's political agents offer invaluable insights into all aspects of Kuwaiti life. the collectin includes previously unpublished letters in Arabic, with translations, from former rulers of Kuwait.

Oman

Development plans of the GCC states, 1962-1995: Sultanate of Oman
Includes Arabic and English documents on the four five-year development plans.

Ocean of Paper
A site that collects, catalogs, and publishes the thousands of deeds produced by Omanis in South Arabia and East Africa during the 19th and 20th centuries. These deeds recount transactions in money, property, and commodities between Omanis.

Records of Oman, 1867-1960
A key selection of facsimile original British Government documents detailing the history of Oman between 1867 and 1960. The records from 1867 to 1947 are largely derived from the British Library Oriental and India Office Collection. The records from 1948 to 1960 are primarily derived from the National Archives, Kew.
Records of Oman, 1961-1965
Documents from a pivotal time in the history of Muscat/Oman, when the British administration was extricating itself from the Persian Gulf states.
Records of Oman, 1966-1971
The records of the British political officers remain virtually the sole source of continuous information on the modern development of the Sultanate. These letters are in Arabic until the reign of Saiyid Said bin Taimur (1932–1970). All the Arabic texts are accompanied by contemporary English translations.

Qatar

Development plans of the GCC states, 1962-1995. Bahrain, Qatar
Reports in Arabic and English related to financial and development plans of Bahrain and Qatar.

Qatar Digital Library
Includes archives, maps, manuscripts, sound recordings, photographs and more, complete with contextualized explanatory notes and links, in both English and Arabic.

Records of Qatar primary documents, 1820-1960
The most important documents and maps from British political archives to mark the history of Qatar from 1820 to 1960. The files include numerous translations and Arabic originals of letters from the Shaikhs.
Records of Qatar, 1961-1965
A complrehensive collection of documents covering the events in Qatar from 1961-1965.
Records of Qatar, 1966-1971
The collection covering 1966-1971 documents the end of Qatar’s150 years as a British Protectorate and its emergence as an independent sovereign state. It also details the coup d’état of1972 in which Sheikh Khalifah bin Hamad al-Thani deposed his cousin Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali alThani; negotiations with Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain centering on land and sea boundary disputes; developments in the petroleum industry and the associated development of a more modern urban infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia

Development plans of the GCC states, 1962-1995: Saudi Arabia
10 volumes contain English and Arabic documents that cover the first five development plan periods in modern Saudi Arabia. The remaining volumes include assessments and revisions of the plans, and plans focusing on specific areas.
Political diaries of the Arab world: Saudi Arabia
The diaries provide an on-the-spot account of local events in the detailed and disciplined format demanded by the British Foreign Office, and cover political events, foreign relations, civil administration and development, economic affairs, and local personalities.
Records of Saudi Arabia: primary documents, 1902-1960
Call Number: Main (Gardner) Stacks DS223 .R43 1992 and online
The collection offers historical evidence for the creation of Saudi Arabia – the capture of Riyadh, the conquests of Al Hasa and the Hijaz, the occupation of Taif, Jedda, Mecca and Medina, and the proclamation of the Kingdom. It includes many original letters of King Abdulaziz and illustrates the political, social and economic changes which in just over half a century transformed the desert amirate into one of the richest countries in the world.
Records of Saudi Arabia, 1961-1965
The period 1961 to 1965 includes details of the illness of King Sa’ud, his power struggle with Prince Faisal and the eventual accession of King Faisal; the death of Yusuf Yasin; boundary disputes, including those at Buraimi, Khor alOdaid and the boundary with Yemen, sometimes exacerbated by the demands of the oil industry; the intervention of the United Nations in the Buraimi dispute; Saudi-Jordan defense and economic agreements; and UAR aggression against Saudi Arabia, particularly the poor relations between Cairo and Riyadh.
Records of Saudi Arabia, 1966-1971
The events of the period 1966 to 1971 reveal a tumultuous period in the history of Saudi Arabia: the exile of King Saud; the war with Yemen over Asir and other disputed territories; the concerns for security engendered simultaneously by aggression from the United Arab Republic in support of Yemeni insurgents and from the Arab–Israeli War of 1967; unresolved territorial contests with other Gulf states; and increasingly complex negotiations over petroleum rights through OPEC.
Records of the Hijaz, 1798-1925
Includes historical research materials on the Hijaz province before its incorporation into the modern Saudi Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia: secret intelligence records 1926-1939
Call Number: NRLF (UCB) DA47.9.S33 S28 2003 and online
Consists of internal political telegrams which were never intended for international, or even external, examination. These telegrams provide a rare glimpse into the system of administration and the style of leadership of Sultan (King) Abdul Aziz ibn Abdul Rahman ibn Saud, ruler of Nejd–Hedjaz/Saudi Arabia from 1925–1953.
The Saudi green book, 1934 : relations between Saudi Arabia and the Yemen
Includes the original Arabic text of the famous so-called Saudi Green Book issued by the Saudi Government in 1934, regarding relations and conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It is followed by an English translation prepared at the British Legation at Jeddah in the 1930s.
U.S. Presidential papers concerning Saudi Arabia, 1941-1962
Contains US State Department papers on Saudi Arabia from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s drawn from the National Security files and the private presidential office files of Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy.
U.S. records on Saudi affairs, 1945-1959
These volumes are prepared from confidential US State Department central files, from records of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and from other US Government archives in Washington DC, and in some places remain censored.

United Arab Emirates

Development plans of the GCC States, 1962-1995. United Arab Emirates
Documents in English and Arabic relating to economic and social development in the UAE.
Records of Dubai, 1761-1960
Eight volumes of primary documents relating to the origins, rise, and development of the city and emirate of Dubai.
Records of the Emirates: primary documents, 1820-1958
Slected British government documents detailing the development of the United Arab Emirates. The 12 volumes include internal and external frontier negotiations and questions of island sovereignty, constitutional and military developments; the Trucial States Council and the Trucial Oman Levies, municipal development, banking, medicine, and air travel.
Records of the Emirates, 1961-1965
Key events covered in these volumes include inter-emirate boundary questions, the relocation of Ras al Khaimah, municipal development plans, and growing international business interests.
Records of the Emirates, 1966-1971
A comprehensive collection covering the important changes leading to the formation of the U.A.E., as Great Britain moved to extricate itself from its sustained presence in the region.

Yemen

Political diaries of the Arab world: Aden, 1899-1967
Detailed reports on events in the British controlled territories of Aden and its hinterland.
Records of Yemen, 1798-1960
An extensive collection of primary documents on the political and social development of Yemen. Early volumes reveal the legendary fascination of ‘Arabia Felix’, the later volumes show the political instability after World War II that was to lead to the departure of the British in 1967.

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Historical Primary Sources: Middle East & North Africa: Arabian Peninsula