The Trucial Coast Diaries: On the Way from Pearls to Oil in the Trucial States of the Gulf

The Trucial Coast Diaries are the secret reports written in Dubai by the Representatives of the London based group of oil companies, the Iraq Petroleum Company, known on the Trucial Coast as Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast), PD(TC). These men, the authors, were in a unique position to observe the social, economic and political environment of the people then living in the present day United Arab Emirates, before oil revenues led to a dramatic transformation from intense poverty to the great wealth which now permeates every aspect of this society. The diaries, dating from 1948 to 1957, are reproduced here with extensive footnotes added on each page to provide explanation and clarification for readers who may not be familiar with the people, the places and the way of life a long time ago ‘on the Coast’. This publication benefits from the unique experience by the author gained after living well over half a century in the Emirates and enjoying the confidence of so many of the people.