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6 AL-KUWARI, Ali Saeed. The State Tour of Asia. A complete record of the official visits of HH the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani to Pakistan, India, the Republic of Korea and Japan, 16–25 April 1984. Doha: Dana Public Relations, 1984 Expanding Qatari diplomatic horizons First and sole edition, exceptionally scarce, with just two institutional locations traced: Library of Congress and UCLA. This comprehensive work presents a record of the Qatari Emir’s first diplomatic tour, an economic and peace-keeping initiative which helped to usher in a new era in Qatari foreign policy “by developing a reputation in impartial conflict mediation” (Roberts, p. 2). Octavo. Original red suedette, gilt-lettered spine and front cover. With dust jacket. With colour illustrations throughout. An excellent copy. ¶ David B. Roberts, “The Four Eras of Qatar’s Foreign Policy”, Journal of International Relations , no. 5, 2016. £1,250 [159384] 7 AL-OTAIBA, Mana Saeed. The Economy of Abu Dhabi: Ancient & Modern. Beirut: Printed by Commercial & Industrial Press, 1971 Highly uncommon overview of Abu Dhabi’s emerging economy First edition, first printing, of this comprehensive account, published to coincide with the birth of the UAE, covers the pearl industry, fisheries, oil, and other sectors of the economy. It is remarkably scarce: an online institutional search shows just four
20 February as the start of the attack. To set the scene, he presents a history of the Kaaba and the three Saudi states. Then, as “Islamic religious fanaticism” is a key factor, he describes Muhammad’s early life, the Orthodox Islamic Schools, unorthodox sects and schisms, how they came about, their differences, and their dissemination across Muslim countries. After detailing the 1979 attack, he moves on to practical considerations, drawing on data collected in Saudi Arabia. These relate to the Mosque’s construction (its entrance, praying areas, Masaa, minarets, Mataf and open areas, basement), and its security arrangements. Al-Gurashi’s thesis was written with the aim of assisting the authorities in preventing future attacks and he dedicates his work to King Fahd, who was interior minister at the time of the attack, while also acknowledging the support of princes Naif and Ahmad, respectively minister and deputy minister at the Ministry of the Interior. His recommendations take account of the Mosque’s vast size and complexity, Sharia Law, which prohibits weapons inside the Mosque, and Muslim custom and practice. Accompanying the book are 16 striking original press photographs of Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque at Medina during hajj. These date to the mid- to late 1970s, after the Saudis completed their first expansion of the Masjid al-Haram (1955–73). These file photos were issued on 20–21 November 1979 to illustrate breaking news of the siege, and thus do not depict the incident itself. A recurring caption reads: “The Grand Mosque of Mecca – Al Masjid al Haram – central place of the Moslem has today become the object of a siege by Saudi police and soldiers trying to oust Mahdist fanatic insurgents holed up inside the mosque with scores of hostages”. This is followed by a history and description of the Masjid al-Haram. Quarto. Original deep reddish-brown morocco-grain leatherette by the Cal-Na Bindery, Sacramento, gilt-lettered spine and front cover. Copy of typescript printed on rectos only. With 7 black and white maps and illustrations from photographs. Binding just a little rubbed at extremities. A fine copy. ¶ Eli Melki, “Mecca 1979: The mosque siege that changed the course of Saudi history”, BBC Arabic , 27 December 2019, available online. £15,000 [159108]
sharjah international book fair
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