British Embassy in 1954

In January 1900 the employment of a British officer in Bahrain was sanctioned as a temporary measure and at the end of the year it was made permanent.  He was known as the Political Agent. The first Political Agent was J.C. Gaskin who assumed charge of his office on 10 February 1900.

The official residence of the Political Agent was built on the shore of the east-coast of Manama between 1901-1902.  It cost £2,000 (approximately BD 1,100) to build, and had deep verandas with many windows, in the inside and outer walls to allow air to circulate. Locally it was known as ‘the Kutty’.

Over the next fifty years, the residence of the political agent was altered and enlarged until eventually, one morning in 1954, its roof collapsed demolishing the dining room below!   Luckily the occupants had just finished breakfast so the room was empty at the time.

The agency was re-built in 1955 and the building is now the British Embassy and Ambassador’s Residence.