TALE OF A CITY 114 and Sharjah construction will be improved later to American standards to meet their requirements. 3. All work to meet American demands has been given highest priority and C.E. Iraq has been promised full support. All his personnel requirements to date have been supplied. 4. Effects on our own transport command’s programme not calculable at this stage but should not prove serious, in view of later target. Date set for RAF Transport Command Programme. 5. Limiting factor to providing American standards at Bahrein and Sharjah byMarch 15 is supply of material and transportation problemwhich would apply equally to Americans if theyundertookconstruction.” 11 On 15 January 1944, the R.A.F began building in certain additional areas outside the walls of Sharjah Air Station. Those buildings were for housing as well as operational purposes for the Transportation Commands of both the R.A.F and the US army. Two months into the work, the people of Sharjah were able to see the buildings rising and informed the Sheikh of what was happening. Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr al-Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, and his brother, Sheikh Muhammad bin Saqr al-Qasimi, raised their objections with the British. They were informed, however, that 12 there was an approval secured in communications a number of years before from Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr. When the British presented the exchanges, the brothers did not deny them. The letters referred to are as follows:13 1. One of the letters (no. 7/2-141/C) was dated 13 February 1937 and was fromthePolitical Agent inBahrainaddressed toSheikhSultan. It was about a proposed addition to the rest house in Sharjah, which the Political Agent had spoken about with Sheikh Sultan while in Sharjah. The Political Agent said that he was authorized by the High Britannic Government to inform the Sheikh that the cost of the additional buildings was not going to be retrieved from 11 Ibid. 12 I.O.R./L.P.&S/12/2043, EXT.1194/1945. 13 Ibid.
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