رم MUSCAT MONTHLY DIARYDECEMBER 1 TO 31 1960 UNCLASSIFIEDNO: 12.159. VISITS AND VISITORS In many ways December has been like one of the monthsin the summer doldrums. Events and visitors have been few andfor the most part not important, and the Christmas holiday fellproperly into a peaceful setting. His Excellency the PoliticalResident passed through Muscat on December 28/29 on his way tosee the Sultan in Salala. Noel Clark the B.B.C. correspondentin Aden visited the Sultanate from December 11 - 20 in order tocollect material for a series of broadcasts and visited Ibri,Nizwa and Buraimi after touring the Batinah coast with ColonelBoustead, the Development Secretary. He finally called on theSultan in Salala. Mr. Clark's visit created considerableinterest and it was unfortunate that few Mus catis were able tohear the first resultant programmes in the absence of priorwarning. 160. Mr. A.R. Walmsley of the Foreign Office also touredthe country during his stay from December 3 - 7 seeing more ina few days than most Omanis do in their lifetime. It isstrange but safe to assume that the average Muscat-domiciledOmani has been to an outside country such as the TrucialStates, Bahrain or Pakistan but has not seen the interior ofhis own country. H.M. Consul General was unable to attendthe meeting of Political Agents in Bahrain on December 18 - 21after a brush with a sea urchin.161. INTERNAL Sayid Majid bin Taimur, the Wali of Sur, who is theSultan's half brother stayed part of December in Muscat for theMinister of the Interior to settle a dispute between the Janabasheikhs of Sur and Majid himself. He exchanged calls with theConsul General and after a briefing in the origin and functionsof Father Christmas distributed presents from the Christmas treeat the Consul General's children's party. With his benevolentmien and beard he was well cast. 162. 40 members of the Hikman, the tribe of the mainlandopposite Masirah Island, also came to Muscat in connection witha dispute between them and the Majalah in the person of SheikhKhamis bin Hilal al Majali. Sheikh Khamis, who is the headman of Masirah, has not yet turned up although summoned bySayid Ahmad (Minister of the Interior). 163. Reference paragraph 148. The Persian Gulf Lighting Service removed the oldMuscat lighthouse and completed the new one all within thefirst fortnight of December. Although the light is scarcelyvisible from the landward side ship's captains report vastlyincreased visibility from the sea. The Persian Gulf LightingService also have plans to install a light on Ras al Hadd wherecaptains have pressed for some time for some warning of thepromontory and the aid to navigation which it would provide. .با16/
