Independent Examiner's Rep)rt on the *e¢ounts of The Friends of Hadbramaut (Registered Charity Nwmber lo62￿) for the year to 31" J)ecember 2022 I, Geoff Calvert of Garden FlaL 16 Bolton Gardens, London SW5 OAJ. Confirni that I have examined thc accounts of The Friends of Hadhra￿ for the year ending 31" December 2022 under Section 43 of the 1993 Act and in accordance with the general direction by the Charity Commissioners. l examined the Sterlin& Euro and Yemeni Rial accounts. The preparation of the charity's accounts is the rcstM)nsibility of the T￿￿te¢s. They have asked me to conduct an independent examination and the accounts will not be audifrl as is appropriate for a charity of this size. I confimi the accounts have been prepared by th¢ Trustees on a receipts and payments basis and have no ￿sOn to doubt their accuracy. I am qualified to be the lThkpendent Examiner of the charity after a weer in financial services. P September 2023 **NUMBER 27 NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2023** ## **COMPLETED PROJECTS** ## **PLEASE INFORM US IF YOUR POSTAL/EMAIL ADDRESS HAS CHANGED** ## **LEGACIES AND WILLS** Those thinking about leaving a legacy to FOH can check our bona fides by consulting the website of the Charity Commission of England & Wales: www.charitycommission.gov.uk. We have been registered with the Commissioners under Charity Number 1062560 since May 1997. If you are planning your will (or making additions to an existing one) we cannot over emphasise how grateful we, and the poorest people of Hadhramaut would be for a bequest from you. If there is a particular project you are interested in supporting, or specific terms and conditions you would like to make, please contact the treasurer at our registered address, or ask your solicitor to do so. ## **THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS** ||**THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS**|**THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS**|**THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS**| |---|---|---|---| ||||| |David & Ann Grainger||Pius Fischer|Dr. Julia Bray| |Norman JM Cameron||John & Patricia Ducker|Mr. & Mrs. Bin Dohry| |P M Vaughan||Vanja Pantovic|Norunn Vorland| |Asma al-Hamiz||Philippa Vaughan|Anna Haug| |Sultana & Fatima al-Qu’aiti||Nina Kneppen|Inger Kristoffersen| |Sverre Driveklepp||Margaretha Østern|Corinne Hillman| |Eva Bekkelund Eriksen||Patricia Loudon|Bernhard Herzmaier| |Raya Abu Gulal||Leif Ole Manger|Anne Bang| |Jan Einar & Gry Mette Daae||Dina von Randow|Julia Miles| |Carl Schiøtz Wibye||Wolfgang Gaerte|Uwe & Mona Drettwan| |Petter & Bente Holt
Håkonsen||Aida Altaie|James Budd| |Sir William & Lady Vanessa
Patey||Ole Martin Gjeraker Tveit|Maija Calvert| |Aziz Omar||Julia Schellens|Juli Avedissian| |Gerhard Heck||Renate Amman|Beatrice Wiesemann| |Sue Roff||Aida Kellal|Philippa Pardue| |The Zain family||A H Hydes|J A Horrell| |Shireen Karrim||Virginia G Henry|Latifa Lemoh| |Arild & Torill Storvik||Nico Kummer|Julie Friis Petersen| |Joelle Febvre||Marion Herb|Alan de Lacy Rush| |Unni Wikan||Marie-Jose Defrance|Ole Jacob Driveklepp| |Willi Steul||Mimi Cejka|Sidsel & Odd Ramen| |Angela Kilmartin||Sarah Finch|| ||||| Our heartfelt thanks to these Friends who continue to support us through standing orders: **Lady Bute** , **Lord Green of Deddington** , **J Lush** , **E Whitaker** , **C Arnander** , **T Petouris** , **S al Juffali** , **Q Rappoport** , **P & S Ingrams** , **BA Fyfield-Shayler and Dr. FJ Pocock.** We hope other Friends will consider setting up standing orders to help our cause. 1 We would like to offer our profuse thanks to **a family in Saudi Arabia** who wish to remain anonymous. ## **NEWS OF THE CHAIRMAN** Saleh, currently based in Riyadh/Jeddah, would be happy to meet any FOH passing through: salehbinghalib@hotmail.com ## **NEWS OF THE VICE-CHAIRMAN** Salah distributed 135 baskets of food, costing approximately 180 to 200 Saudi Riyals in Mukalla, Ghail BaWazir and its neighbours. His son, Ali distributed more than 50 in al-Qatn, 20 to 30 in Shehr and a few to some needy families in Ghail BaWazir and Mukalla. This time the quantity of sugar, was reduced from 19 kilo to 5 kilo, each basket contained rice, sugar, flour, tuna, cooking oil, cream caramel, milk, jelly and tomatoes. Salah tried to manage and cover as many families as he could. In May 2022, **Salah** organised a two-day visit for a group of children from a local kindergarten in Ghail BaWazir who visited "al-Bagh", the Qu'aiti summer palace. 2 ## **NEWS OF THE ADVISER** **Brian Fyfield-Shayler** can now only be reached by post: BA Fyfield-Shayler, 5 Quant Park, Tavistock, Devon PL 19 0JQ 3 ## **NEWS OF THE TREASURER** Sultana was very pleased to meet Aisha Gray Henry from Kentucky in Jeddah in February 2023 and to welcome Dr. Gerhard Heck and Frau Renate Amman from Mainz to her home in Jeddah in March 2023 and George Hancock, Jean Franco, Shima Khan in April 2023 where all 3 became members of FOH. She was very grateful to Wolfgang Gaerte for organising her journey to Oslo from Berlin and for arranging a meeting with Brigitte-Marianna Siebolds (one of our earliest German supporters) in May 2023. She was honoured to meet Dr. Jan J Witkam, Emeritus Professor of Codicology and Paleography of the Islamic World, Leiden University in Leiden in June 2023. ## **NEWS FROM CANADIAN BRANCH** Local Coordinator (LC) **Alexandre Cumas** ## **NEWS FROM FRENCH BRANCH** Many thanks to **JM Bel** for promoting FOH in Angers in March 2023 As a trustee and Local Coordinator, we thank **Maija Calvert** for her presence and support at our Oslo event 4 ## **NEWS FROM GERMAN BRANCH** We thank **Wolfgang Gaerte** , our Local Coordinator, for his presence at Oslo and his sterling efforts in recruiting German Friends to attend the Oslo event. He attended the AGM of the Deutsche Jemenitische Gesellschaft (DJG) in Berlin on 13th May along with FOH Ruth Hildebrandt, Sultana al-Qu’aiti and MarieAmelie Steul. ## **Dr. Ulrike Freitag & Dr. Gerhard Dannemann on way to meet HM King Charles III, Berlin, March 2023** We thank him for writing such a detailed and interesting account of FOHs work in Hadhramaut for the Jemen Report. Here is the link to an excellent article written by our intrepid LC for the annual Jemen Report from the DJG, who never loses an opportunity to publicise our work. **The LCs father Felix Gaerte on his way to Buckingham Palace in 1953 for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II** ## **NEWS FROM ITALIAN BRANCH** ## **NEWS FROM NETHERLANDS BRANCH** 5 Dr. Ed Hayes, Postdoctoral Researcher at Leiden University collaborated with Dr. Kate Pukhovaia, Assistant Professor at Utrecht University and specialist in Yemeni history of the 13th-17th centuries to host an event with administrative support from the Leiden University Centre for Islam and Society (LUCIS). Dr. Alex Ingrams, Renate Husseini, Faye Huiderkoper-Cope and Sultana al-Qu’aiti attended the two-day seminar on Yemen at Leiden University on 7-8th June 2023. It included a pop-up exhibition of Yemen-related artifacts at Leiden University Library, a Yemeni studies roundtable, a manuscripts workshop for students and scholars and a research lecture by Dr. Scott Lucas (Associate Professor of Islamic Studies Arizona University): “ _Publish or Perish: Religious Zaydi publishers in Yemen during the 1990s_ ”. _Internal political issues, war, and an ongoing humanitarian crisis keep plaguing the region that used to be known as Arabia Felix. In light of these events, how has the study of Yemen developed over the past decade? An international group of academic experts on Yemen come together to discuss how their work continues to be possible and relevant despite closed borders and the difficulties the region is facing._ https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/series/whats-new-spring-lecture-series-2023 ## **NEWS FROM NORWEGIAN BRANCH** Nina and Sverre really deserve a medal for bravery and perseverance for making all these efforts again and again!! Margaretha Ostern ## **NEWS FROM PAKISTAN BRANCH** **Rukhsana Rashid** , our local coordinator, leaves no stone unturned in helping FOH in myriad ways. We are especially grateful to her for her consummate skills in the preparation of this newsletter. Many congratulations to **Rashida Masood** and **Saleem Bukhari** , of the Memorial Park Group, Karachi for planting trees in memory of loved ones ## **NEWS FROM SINGAPORE BRANCH** ## **NEWS FROM USA BRANCH** A Cri de Coeur from our local coordinator **John Mulholland** : “I see several countries are moving ahead with plans to create events for FOH. Meanwhile, the largest nation among FOH supporters (currently 65), the USA, sits idly by. What is the “hook” to get Friends here more interested? Although I am well inserted into our Atlanta 6 Arab and international communities, Yemen is low on their lists of interests. I am very keen on generating greater awareness amongst our USA membership and would very much appreciate some feedback from Friends on our continent as to how to raise funds for Hadhramaut. Does any Friend have contact with the Washington Center of Yemeni Studies (WCYS)?” ## **CONDOLENCES** Our deepest sympathy to Dr. David Bryer CMG (former Chair of Oxfam International) on the death of his wife **Margaret Isabel Bowyer Bryer** (FOH 30.10.07) in March 2020 Our deepest sympathy to Wafaa Murad on the death of her mother **Wahiba Tahir Abdul Aziz** in February 2020 in Jeddah **The Treasurer writes** : It was with great sadness that I learnt of the death on 15th December 2022 of **Alan D’Arcy** (FOH 23.1.97) in a Torquay care home thanks to a call from Gary Mundy. I first met Alan in Hadhramaut in 1997 on a BYS tour that our former patron Jim Ellis had led. Alan co-hosted two early memorable garden parties in Torquay with Pandora Holloway and helped (along with Gary) with the garden party in 2016 hosted by Yousif al-Nasser.He was an outstanding FOH and a close family friend. Having no family of his own, I would make it a point of visiting him in Torquay but sadly was unable to do so last year. Alan was born on 20.5.1930. He was a Wing Commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF) and served in the Aden Protectorate Levies (APL) from 1953-56. From 1948-1951, he served in the RAF Administration in Cranwell.He once told me how cold it was when he worked on the coke stoves at Compton Bassett. In Aden, he befriended Godfrey Meynell and Bill HeberPercy who encouraged him to join the Western Aden Protectorate (WAP).From 1963-1967 he served as a political officer in Nisab, Upper Awlaqi Sultanate. Muhammad Awadh, the grandson of the former Awlaqi Sheikh became his ward. Alan was very happy to be reconnected with the Awlaqis after joining Jim’s tour in 1997. He led tours for the BYS and served as Treasurer from 1998-2003. Alan will be sorely missed. (Military operations in the Upper Awlaqi Sheikhdom 1957-63 Wadi Yeshbum) My heart goes out to Gary Mundy, whom some of you will have met in 2016. Gary left no stone unturned in looking after Alan, seeing to his every need; shopping, cooking, taking him to the doctor, to hospital and finally arranging for him to be moved from his flat in Paignton to a care home in Torquay. He was an exemplary friend to Alan, caring for him as a son would care for his father and given his nursing background, meticulous in his medical care for Alan. Gary had arranged for Alan's flights to Oslo in 2020 and booked hotels; unfortunately the FOH fundraising event had to be postponed due to Covid-19. Alan had travelled all the way to Venice to support FOH in 2014. FOH is pleased to confer Alan’s FOH membership to Gary. 7 Our deepest sympathy to Dr. Antoine Turzi on the death of his mother **Francesca Turzi** aged 98 in Toulouse, France in December 2022 Our deepest sympathy to the children of **Tom Stacey** on his death in London in December 2022. A memorial service was held for him on 19th May 2023 at St. John the Baptist Church, London. **The Treasurer writes** : Shama Husain and Robert Shipman attended the memorial service. We first met Tom in 1997 in Jeddah and thereafter developed a warm friendship. Tom was amongst the very first to join Friends of Hadhramaut (27.1.97), a charity which was very close to his heart. He was both a generous supporter and a loyal attendee at our events. I last met Tom at his daughter Tilly's pottery exhibition in 2022. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the entire family on the passing of a remarkable man. **Sultan Ghalib al-Quaiti adds** : It is impossible to describe a man of Tom's many rare and diverse qualities and gifts. Although "very English" in his outward appearance and demeanour, he possessed that bravora of unhesitatingly mixing with a huge variety of people. Blessed with a fine intellect and an always open and questioning mind of a great professional journalist, he was also gifted with a very keen and shrewdly observant eye. He was a true loyal, sincere and generous friend and host, always willing to go well out of his way for a deserving cause. May you rest in eternal peace dear Tom, you will always be dearly remembered by all those who came in contact with you. REQUIESCAT IN PACEM https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/48465a08-9a8f-11ed-b81d-ce538d806950? shareToken=8efcb23521c768b8101e7538f873ae67 - - - - - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2023/01/09/tom stacey globe trotting reporter publisher-author-generous/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Stacey https://tomstaceyauthor.wordpress.com/ https://www.facebook.com/TomStacey.author/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FZ9a-EZL3M Our deepest sympathy to Dr. Muna Bagour on the death of her husband **Omar Cornel Pavel Vulcu** in Munich in January 2023 **Omar Vulcu and Sultan Ghalib in France 2008** Our deepest sympathy to the family of **HEH Nizam Mir Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram Jah, Asaf Jah VIII** (FOH 29.11.2000) on his death in Istanbul in January 2023 Our deepest sympathy to Caroline al-Juneid on the death of her father **Jurges Klibingaitis** in Melbourne in February 2023 and on the death of her sister **Maxine Klibingaitis** in Melbourne in April 2023 8 Our deepest sympathy to Nadia and Tariq Isa on the death of their uncle **Mian Usman Aminuddin** in Islamabad in February 2023 Our deepest sympathy to Angela, Richard, Philippa and Belinda on the death of their husband/father **Stephen Day** (FOH 20.05.07) in London in March 2023, a memorial service was held for him in April where our Patron, John Harding represented FOH. Angela will continue her beloved husbands FOH membership. **Sultan Ghalib al-Quaiti remembers** : Stephen was a fine political officer who served the people in the Western Aden Protectorate with a sensitive and responsible open mind, always keen to understand and give serious consideration, to the other side's views, when he felt that this was in the mutual interest. Not surprisingly, this display of independence would have been hardly welcome by his superiors. He was a caring and loyal friend. The Fadhlis for one, remember him to this day with great respect and appreciation. **Muzna al-Quaiti adds** : It was very kind how Uncle Stephen saw me through my MA year at SOAS, always checking in with consideration during his time at MBI Al-Jaber Foundation. Our deepest sympathy to Irmelin, Elisabeth and Erik Dahl Larsen on the death of their husband/father **Karl Erik Larsen** (FOH 18.09.16) in Bergen in March 2023 Our deepest sympathy to Dr. Abdul Aziz bin Ali al-Qu’aiti and his family on the death of his wife **Shafiqa Rubia Ali al-Qu’aiti** in Jordan in May 2023 ## **THANKS** **Louise Hosking** and the British Yemeni Society for including the FOH Oslo event in their April 2023 newsletter: “it is such a well put-together event” **Daphne Sanders** for sharing the Oslo event flier with her Norwegian friends **Shama Husain** for attending Tom Stacey’s memorial service on behalf of FOH in May 2023 **Dr. Gerhard Heck** for posting letters in Germany **Dr. Marie-Christine Heinze** President, CARPO – Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient in Bonn for publishing an article on FOH in the annual Jemen Report (DJG) ## **CONGRATULATIONS** **Julian Paxton** on the marriage of his son Edward to Faye in Cape Town in December 2022 **Paul Hughes-Smith** on his 80th birthday in May 2023 **Sir Harold Walker** on his 90[th] birthday in 2022 **Pia Kanaan** on her transfer from Switzerland to Ludgrove Boys Preparatory School in Berkshire 9 **Dr. Gorshkov-Cantacuzène V.A.** on the publication of his book _The protection of rights to biotechnological inventions in the European countries of the "Eastern Bloc”_ Moscow: Yurait, 2023 **Princess Caroline Murat – Caroline Haffner** on initiating, founding and organising the 17th edition of the Gstaad New Year Music Festival in December 2022 **John Mulholland** on his story of Sicily being published _Atlanta-Italy News, Presented by Global Atlanta_ **Sverre Driveklepp** on the occasion of his mother Arna Driveklepp’s 93rd birthday in November 2022 **Muhammad Salah al-Qu’aiti** on passing the neuro-brain surgery specialisation exam from the Yemeni Medical Board, being one of seven top candidates to qualify in the whole of Yemen **Dr. Gerhard Heck** on being awarded the 2020 ITB prize for the best German language travel guide on Oman _Oman Reise Handbuch_ . Dumont have also published his well-known travel handbook _Arabische Halbinsel_ **Felipe Fernandez Armesto** on his latest book _Straits: Beyond the Myth of Magellan_ published in 2022 **Dr. Razia Sultanova** on her latest book _Afghanistan Dispossessed: Women, Culture and the Taliban_ (Pen and Sword 2023).She and her husband Hamid Ismailov participated in the Lahore Literary Festival in February 2023 **Ovidio Salazar** , award-winning film- maker, on producing the first-ever cinematic account of the Hijrah _In the Footsteps of the Prophet_ **Dr. Shahina Ghazanfar** , honorary research associate at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and a Gibbs Fellow at Newnham College, University of Cambridge on her presentation to the Anglo-Omani Society on “Language and Ecology in Southern and Eastern Arabia” in March 2023 and on her new exhibition _Plants of the Quran_ at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art in Kew Gardens **Dr. Alex Ingrams** on his daughter Rosanne's third birthday in May 2023 **Louis Blin** on his appointment in September 2022 as Research Director Middle East at the European University, Florence and on his new publications _La Ligue Islamique Mondiale: Le Renouveau Musulman?_ and _Récits pr_ é _sent_ é _s et annot_ é _s Alexandre Dumas R_ é _cits d’Arabie_ (L’Harmattan) **Jill Hammans** on becoming a great grandmother in April when her eldest granddaughter gave birth to James Hamish **Lina & Omar Mukharesh** on their daughter Lana’s graduation from Harvard Children’s Medical Hospital in Boston and their son in law Dr. Mohanad’s graduation from Duke Medical Hospital in North Carolina 10 **Alison Shan Price** MBE FRGS on being awarded a Masters in History in March 2023 by ……. .Her thesis was entitled: **Dr. Jan Just Witkam** on his online lecture to Princeton in April _Lives and Letters. The Correspondence of Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje (1857-1936)_ **Professor Nile Green** (UCLA) on the publication of his recent book _How Asia Found Herself: A Story of Intercultural Understanding_ in April 2023 (Yale University Press) **Professor Vitaly Naumkin** Institute of Oriental Studies Moscow on being appointed Consultant Editor of the Journal of Islamic Studies Oxford ## **NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD** **Barbara Schumacher** on her “ _Adventures_ ” in KSA published in EURABIA magazine No 4/2022, the quarterly online magazine of the German Arab Society **Aisha Gray Henry introducing Fons Renaud Detalle, Representative of the Vitae to the King Faisal Centre, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Riyadh, February 2023 Human Rights - Yemen** **Ahmed Rashid** participated in the Lahore Literary Festival in February 2023 **HRH Princess Maha al-Faisal** organised a seminar on the _Arabian Narrative_ in February 2023 at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh ## Please visit artist **Caroline Lees** website: www.carolinelees.co.uk **Earl St Andrews** attended the coronation of HM King Charles III in May 2023 in Westminster Abbey **Sir Harold Walker** KCMG is Honorary Vice President of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs 11 ## **NOTE FROM THE EDITOR** We welcome comments, suggestions and contributions and reserve the right to edit any material submitted to hadhramaut@btinternet.com The password for reading newsletters on our website www.hadhramaut.co.uk is **frankincense** 5 new Friends joined in 2023 from the UK, USA and Norway ## **Corrigendum** ## **Comments on Newsletter 25** ## **United Kingdom Sunderland** - We know that the good work is continuing in spite of the difficult conditions in Yemen ## **Worcestershire** - Thanks so much for the newsletter - as always full of interest ## **London** - Congratulations on a magnificent newsletter - and for all the magnificent work you do - Thank you for your brilliant newsletter and for the wonderful reports of all the work that have been accomplished. How hard you have worked on it - Thank you for sharing the newsletter, it is great to see how active the society is - Many thanks for your long newsletter about the Friends of Hadhramaut. It is an engaging read, not least on account of the mention of people who are also friends or contacts in other areas. I admire your persistence in writing it all up ## **Stourbridge** - I was impressed by the international progress of FOH. Things have certainly become much more difficult in Yemen in the meanwhile and I am pleased that there is so much goodwill for the area directed from all over the world. It was also heartening to read news of some of you that we remember from our very memorable trip to Yemen in 1997 ## **Gloucestershire** - The FOH gatherings are always such wonderful events - We have received the wonderful December 2022 FOH newsletter. Congratulations of compiling all the interesting news. It must have taken many hours to compile. ## **Oxford** - Thank you for the wonderful Newsletter **Germany Augsburg** 12 - Thank you so much for sending us the annual detailed account of FOH news and the very impressive and content rich program in Oslo ## **Mainz** - I have read the newsletter with intense interest..... it took me straight back to my visit to Mukalla in 1980 and the wonderful journey I made with LC Wolfgang Gaerte in the Wadi Hadhramaut ## **Hindelang** - Schon vor einiger Zeit habe ich FOH ausführlichen Rundbrief gelesen und wollte Dir unsere Bewunderung mitteilen für Dein anhaltendes Engagement und Deine Kraft, die Du immer noch diesem Projekt = Deiner Initiative - widmest. Wie vielen Menschen würde es ohne Eure Hilfe viel schlechter gehen!! ## **France Pyrenees** - What a work it has been to get all that information. What a community Friends of Hadhramaut is ## **Paris** - My warmest thanks for this Newsletter it is very rich in information and has interesting pictures! - It's absolutely astonishing. Most remarkable work of skill, attention and love ## **Norway** ## **Oslo** - Very impressive! ## **USA** ## **Georgia** - I am continually impressed by the important role this province (governorate) has played, and does play, in the history and formation of both the Arab and the modern worlds. Most of us know of the huge arc of Islam from Indonesia around the Indian Ocean and down the east coast of Africa. Few know that this arc was largely created by Hadhramis. Even less known is that the Zanzibarian writer who won the Nobel Prize for Literature last year, Abdul Razzak Gurna, is of 100 percent Hadhrami heritage. The latest Newsletter is another Opus Magnus by the editor and her faithful crew. ## **Italy Rome** - Many thanks for the most recent Newsletter and congratulations to the editor and typesetter for an excellent job ## **Pakistan** ## **Islamabad** - Managed finally to check out the newsletter: very impressive production - kudos to everyone involved, you are doing so much great work ## **Barbados** 13 - Great work FOH and a very interesting Newsletter ## **ARCHIVE ON HADHRAMAUT** We ask Friends to contribute short articles for this section and to send us any rare/interesting photographs of Hadhramaut ## **Notes by the Master of the Norwegian motor schooner ‘Asp’ on a maiden voyage from Bergen to Foochow 1926-1928. Port Visit to Mukalla February 1927** Karl Erik Larsen’s grandfather was a crewmember on a Norwegian 2-masted 150-ton schooner called the **Asp** in 1927. This was the first Norwegian vessel ever to call at Mukalla. The crew, were invited, to the palace to meet Sultan Ghalib’s great granduncle Sultan Omar bin Awadh al-Qu’aiti. The captain wrote a detailed description in his log on the visit to Mukalla, which is reproduced below. (Courtesy Karl Larsen). The nearest town of any importance was Mukalla, but according to advice given in Aden, we were not to go near any inhabited places on the Arabian coast under any circumstances, on account of pirates. I decided to take the chance and headed for Mukalla, in the hope to secure kerosene to mix with oil we got in Aden. We still had one of our fuel tanks full of Suez-oil, which was sufficient for five days run, but this was kept in reserve in case of an emergency so we travelled at slow speed to Mukalla. We arrived there in the afternoon of 21 February and stopped close to the landing place. The place looked rather picturesque as we approached it, and thousands of natives could be seen watching our arrival. In view of the well-meaning warnings received in Aden it was with many misgivings that we received several fully manned canoes which came alongside. Our engine was kept running in readiness should it become necessary to dash out to sea. However, our fears were unfounded, and the friendly and sincere attitude of the officials who boarded us convinced me that no harm would befall us by remaining here, so we dropped anchor. It was unexpected to see so many large whitewashed stone buildings, which gave the place a modern aspect. The Sultan's palace, which was pointed out to us, was a very conspicuous building, and when I expressed my admiration for the place to the boarding officials, I jokingly told them that we wished to call and pay our respects to the Sultan. I was not a little surprised when a messenger from the palace came on board and expressed the Sultan's desire to see us, the officers. We hurriedly changed into a decent suit, and with mixed feelings of anticipation and awe followed the messenger ashore. The Sultan sported a Ford car, and I looked on it as a tie with the outer world. We drove through the main street, running parallel to the beach, which was thronged with natives, who moved out of the way for the Sultan's car; and when they noticed white men in it, they raised 14 their eyes in surprise. Herds of sheep and cattle strayed in the street as well, and did not heed the royal car. Most of the men carried in their belts a half-round dagger with a fancy handle. At the palace gate, we passed a sentry, naked to the waist, holding an old-fashioned rifle. It looked odd when he presented arms as we rolled into the palace yard. We were met by a young man in European attire who spoke English fluently, apparently some sort of secretary to the Sultan. He led us up a broad staircase to the first floor, and I was struck with the refined look everywhere, revealing good taste. Without further ceremony, we were taken straight into the reception hall, where we met the Sultan. I was surprised as the mental picture I had formed of him was entirely different from the person in front of us. He was very interested in our ship and our experiences, and is a man of knowledge regarding world politics. As for the situation in China he was well informed, and even knew some prominent Chinese generals personally. The servants brought a tea tray with cups of tea and biscuits. The secretary acted as interpreter, but did not join in the tea. There was another person present, a huge barefooted man, who continually kept looking at us, and I took him to be some sort of bodyguard. After a while, he disappeared, much to my relief, evidently convinced that we had no evil intentions. I kept the reason for our visit to Mukalla a secret, in case the oil, which I required, should be raised in price. However, inspired by the Sultan's kindness, I confided my trouble to him, and he at once issued instructions to the effect that local dealers were to charge me no more than the market price for supplies of any kind sold to the ship, oil included. This eased my mind considerably, but the quantity of oil obtainable was not sufficient for our requirements. After tea, we were taken out for a drive to the Sultan's bungalow, which was situated up in the hills, among the date-groves. The bungalow was vacant at the time, and it was amusing to walk round the many different rooms and apartments belonging to the harem ladies. The existence of a harem had not entered my mind, but in the matter-of-fact way it was explained by the Secretary I realised that the possession of some half-a-hundred women was considered a necessity in life for a man of the Sultan's standing. The giant who had embarrassed me on my arrival at the palace with his persisting stare was, I understood, a eunuch. The town's fresh-water supply came from a lake in the vicinity of the bungalow, through a pipe. This had to be watched continually by armed guardsmen owing to the hostility of a neighbouring tribe, with whom the Sultan was at war. The population of Mukalla was about 25,000, and the chief communication with the world was by means of a coastal steamer, which called every fortnight on its way to Aden. The Sultan entertained the idea of having a wireless station erected, also the foundation of a modern hospital, which was badly needed. When on the point of going ashore the next morning, I was surprised at receiving a present from His Highness consisting of four beautiful gazelles, two tins of honey and many bananas. The gazelles had recently arrived on a dhow from Africa, and they were therefore quite at home on board a ship. I did not really know how to return in a befitting manner such a royal compliment. Our greatest trouble in Mukalla was to keep friendly visitors away, but when this was brought to the Sultan's notice, (not by us) he immediately dispatched some of his guardsmen to the ship to maintain order. 15 When leaving Mukalla the foredeck of the Asp resembled a farmyard more than a ship, with our numerous livestock - composed of four gazelles, one goat, two pigs, two dogs, a cat and a monkey - amidst bundles of hay. I wrote him a letter of thanks and sent him a photograph in remembrance of the first Norwegian vessel, which had visited his port. To this, I received a reply as follows, together with his photograph in full-dress uniform. To, The Captain, Norwegian vessel Asp, at Mukalla Mukalla, Arabia 22/2/27 Dear Sir, I am sending to you my photo as a token of remembrance. Please accept it and I shall be glad if you will keep it in your good vessel. With best compliments Yours sincerely Sultan Omar Bin Awad AIQuaity ********************************************** ## **Ghail BaWazir Summer Palace and Gateway** This palace is known as Qasr al-Azhar, built by Munassar bin Abdullah bin Omar bin Awadh al-Qu'aiti in the 1890s in the fertile town of Ghail BaWazir, known for its gardens and tobacco plantations. After its conversion to a school in 1944, it is now a museum. 16 **The Qu’aiti summer palace visited by HAR Philby in 1939** 17 **----- Start of picture text -----**
Ghail BaWazir Gateway
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**Madrasah al-Wusta** **Interior of Madrasah al-Wusta** 18 **Exterior of Madrasah al-Wusta** ********************************************** 19 ## **An old map showing Hadhramaut from the New Relief Atlas** ********************************************** ## **View of Mukalla** ********************************************** 20 ## **ITEMS FOR SALE** ## **The items listed below are for sale from the FOH registered address** Courtesy David Halford ## **FOH ANNUAL ACCOUNTS** Our audited accounts and official returns (as required by UK law) are prepared by the Treasurer and presented to the Charity Commissioner online by her, after an Independent Examination by Geoff Calvert OBE. The accounts may be inspected on the Charity Commission’s website: www.charitycommission.gov.uk ## **GIFT AID** Gift Aid is extremely valuable to FOH and may be claimed only on unencumbered donations upon which the donor has paid UK Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax at least equal to the amount of Gift Aid claimed in the relevant tax year. ## **WANTED** Local Coordinators for Australia, India and Spain ## **FUTURE EVENTS** 21 ## **CONTACT DETAILS** ## **FRIENDS OF HADHRAMAUT: Registered Charity No. 1062560** **Address: 48 Richmond Park Road, London SWl4 8JT UK Telephone: +44 (0) 20 83929823** _(The telephone is not always attended; messages may be left and are dealt with regularly)_ **Email: hadhramaut@btinternet.com Website: www.hadhramaut.co.uk** **Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/FriendsofHadhramaut/** ## **Please make all cheques payable to "Friends of Hadhramaut"** ## **Sterling Account** ## **Metro Bank** 64-66 Clarence Street, Kingston upon Thames KT1 1NP, United Kingdom ## **Life Subscription: £25** **Euro Account** ## **Life Subscription: €30** 22 ## **FRIENDS OF HADHRAMAUT** ## **YEMENI RIYAL INCOME & EXPENDITURE 2022** ## **INCOME** Brought forward from 2021 30,839,523 Transfers from Sterling account 102,270,777 Donations in Hadhramaut 2,330,000 **TOTAL INCOME** 135,440,300 ## **EXPENDITURE:** ## **Administration:** Phone calls 370,000 Transportation 3,325,000 Payment for services 74,000 3,769,000 AID & DONATIONS Harshiyyat Medical Centre 105,700 Jol Mashah Medical Centre 396,700 Al-Aneen Autism Centre 90,000 Al-Qatn Sports/Youth Club 171,000 Al-Qatn General Hospital 2,607,000 Moqaibel Hospital, Al-Jahi, Wadi Leisar 49,041,300 Al-Qatn Laboratory 7,095,000 Al-Zahra Girls School, Al-Qatn 150,000 Food, Medical & Educational Aid to poor families 9,596,750 |**TOTAL EXPENDITURE**
**INCOME LESS EXPENDITURE**
Balance held with Messrs Al-Umqi (Local Banker)|73,022,450
62,417,850
62,417,850| |---|---| Sultana F S al-Quaiti (Treasurer)