On the brink of the oil boom: the Trucial Coast in 1932

(Douglas, H. P. / Glen, Graham Cunningham, eds.). Persian Gulf Pilot. Comprising the Persian Gulf and its approaches from Ras Al Hadd, in the South-West, to Cape Monze, in the East. Eighth edition.

€ 15,000.00

The rarest of the Arabian Gulf Pilots published just before the oil boom transformed the area, with maps and illustrations including coastal views of "Ras al Khaimah fort" and "Al 'Ajman town".

The Persian Gulf Pilot "contains sailing directions for the Persian Gulf and the approaches thereto", but the Trucial Coast and the future UAE, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar are given particular attention as "the similarity of appearance [i.e., of the Trucial coastline] makes it difficult to distinguish one town from another" (168). Sharjah is lauded as "the largest and most important town in Trucial 'Oman" (173), while "Cattle might possibly be obtained at Abu Dhabi; but the water is very brackish, all good water being brought from Dabai" (177). Dubai itself is "situated at a short distance inland" and has a prominent date grove, and "although there are no settled inhabitants, landing unarmed on the mainland between Dabai and Abu Dhabi is not recommended, for it is often visited by Bedáwin from the interior" (176). The harbour of Doha is identified by the placement of its minarets, and the approaches to Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, and Al Ajman are all described in great detail, down to prominent palm trees and the best spots to purchase fruit or take on water.

The work also includes copious information on politics, population, languages, trade, currencies, pearl fishery, meteorological information (climate, winds, weather, temperature, humidity), as well as currents, tides, communications and other miscellaneous information. Its editors were well-versed in the Gulf, and make a prescient observation in this 1932 edition: "Probably the two most important products of the Gulf are pearls and petroleum; the latter is found at the north-western end of the Gulf, and refineries have been established by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company at Abadan [...] and drilling operations for locating oil are taking place at Bahrein" (8). 1932 would be the year oil was struck in Bahrain.

Very rarely seen at auction or in institutional holdings, with only seven institutions listing it worldwide. Only two copies in auction records of the past decades (Peter Hopkirk's copy at Sotheby's, Oct 14, 1998, lot 1043).