CONFIDENTIAL (1351/63) H.B.M. POLITICAL AGENCY, TRUCIAL STATES, January 12, 1963. I enclose copies of Allot telegram No.7 to us from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and of my reply (Dubai to Civilair Allot 1) about a proposed fish marketting enterprise in Sharjah. 2. This is a partnership which has been formed between Sultan Ali Al Oweis and a Syrian merchant called Faisal al Musha' al who is at present staying in Sharjah at the Ruler's Palace. They propose to buy fish from Sharjah fishermen or from any other states that may be appropriate and export them weekly to Beirut in a Trans-Mediterranean Airlines aircraft. They say that this aircraft comes down to Doha with fruit and vegetables and normally goes back empty; this is what makes the Sharjah enterprise economic. At the moment they are thinking about sending six or eight tons of fish every week; but if all goes well they hope to extend their business, engage launches and buy refrigeration equipment. 3. We must of course do everything we can to encourage this sort of development in the Trucial States and I hope therefore that the authorities (whoever they are) can agree to a low the necessary traffic rights. At the same time we must be sure that the operation is above board. A lot of drugs are coming into the Trucial States at the moment and this would be an easy way of transmitting them onward. I should be grateful therefore if Robert Swann in Beirut to whom I am copying this letter, would confirm that Trans-Mediterranean do send a weekly consignment of fruit and vegetables to Doha and that the operation proposed is an economic one by normal aviation standards. 4. I am also sending a copy of this letter to Phillip McKearney in Doha and should be grateful if he would check the operation at his end. 5. This proposal should not be confused with a similar but irregular operation already conducted by Syrian Arab Airlines which also brings fruit and vege tables weekly to Sharjah and sometimes takes fish back. (A. J. M. Craig) D.G. Crawford, Esq., Foreign Office, London, S.W.1.
