Economic and Social Relations between Kuwait and Bahrain in the First Half of the Twentieth Century: A Documentary Study.

Résumé

Family documents constitute an important source for studying the history of the Arab Gulf in modern times, especially given that the Gulf states faced - in the early period of modern history - a dilemma represented in the lack of mechanisms for archiving documents, such as the Kuwaiti family ones, which documented the economic relations between Kuwait Bahrain in the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century.

This study aims to identify the nature of economic and social relations between Kuwait and Bahrain, the role of family ties and the alliance between the Al Khalifa and Al Sabah family in enhancing cooperation between the two countries after the Al Khalifa exited from Kuwait and  settled in Bahrain, the most important aspects of economic activities between the two countries, and their role in enhancing social communication between the two countries, and the most important manifestations of this communication.

The study has relied on both the descriptive and analytical historical approaches, following the historical research method from the oldest to the most recent, where information has been collected from Kuwaiti families’ documents, represented in merchants' memoirs and maritime chronicles, as well as British documents. Data have been critically examined and analyzed, and the study has reached a set of findings, including:  documents have shown the depth of economic and social relations between Kuwait and Bahrian, given the strong historical bonds between Al-Subah and Al Khalifa; such ties and bonds enhanced commercial trading between the two sides at the official and popular levels, enhanced cooperation in the field of maritime transportation, and contributed to enhancing cooperation between the two sides at all levels.