Bin Jalmood Street

Company House: The Beginning of Qatar’s Economic Success

12 March 2022travelingpersecond

It turned out that not only me, all tourists were confused to find the entrance. That was what a male staff who came out to called me and directed me to entering the museum.

“Welcome to Msheireb Museum, you should know that this museum consists of four parts. They are Company House which you are currently visiting. In west of this building is Bin Jelmood House, while in east there is Radwani House. Another one, across that street (pointing at Bin Jalmood Street), is Mohammed Bin Jassim House. To make it easier for understanding all stories inside the museum, please install the Msheireb Museums application. You can be guided by this application. Please write your identity in the guest book, and welcome to Msheireb Museums“, his memorization was smoothly conveyed.

“Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir. Where are you come from, sir?”, I briefly answered and then asked.

“Bangladesh”, he answered with a smile.

Yes, the learning began…..

If you want to know about….

How did Qatar’s economy rise from adversity……and how did they struggle to find oil……

This is where it is.

—-****—-

So in the final episode of my adventure in Qatar, the content of this article will be very serious. Let’s learn about Qatar history!.

The history is begin……

First time, at the entrance of museum was the logo of a well-known oil company indicating that the establishment and financing of this museum was sponsored by Qatar Shell.

After passing the reception desk, it was explained in an article that this building was the home of Hussain Al-Naama, manager of Doha Port, built in 1920, then leased by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (a British company which holding an exclusive contract for oil exploration at Qatar) on 1935 and was used as its headquarters for two decades. Once upon a time, the search and exploration of Qatar’s oil started from this house.

This was the truck used to transport workers to the oil fields at west of Qatar.

It was said that these workers would back home one time in a month to received their salaries, then were allowed to back to their homes in just one day to meet their families, after that, they had to return to the oil fields to work. This museum was dedicated to these pioneers who interpret endurance, sacrifice and commitment to build Qatar.

Qatar’s oil industry journey was structurely explained with former oil pipelines.

Dating back to the 1920s, when Qatar was a country that depended on trade, fisheries and pearl fishing. And this country was already on the verge of economic collapse due to the First World War, the Great Depression of 1929 and ever since pearls have been cultivated in Japan.

The pipe was so original….I’m fascinated.

You needed to know that catching pearls was a risky job. In 1929, there was a hurricane that sank 80% of ships in Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. This storm killed five thousand people.

Entering the 1940s, when the Second World War broke out, Qatar’s oil exploration efforts had stalled. This made all Qataris hopeless again, so they have thought of going back to sea and looking for pearls.

Luckily in 1946, a year after the end of Second World War, the British returned to Qatar to continue exploration. When they arrived, when was the tanker unable to dock in Zikrit Waters because it was shallow. So a new export terminal was built in Umm Said, south of Doha. Then continued with the construction of oil pipelines from Umm Said to Dukhan. The relentless effort finally made Qatar successful in exporting its first oil on December 31, 1949. In subsequent developments, oil production in Qatar sharply increased from what was originally under 50,000 Barrel/day in 1949 to more than 2,000,000 Barrel/day in 2010….Wow, that was cool.

The next important chapter, Qatar gained independence from Britain on September 3, 1971. Three years later, the Qatar General Petroleum Company was formed. And in 1977, Qatar General Petroleum Company and Shell Qatar Ltd. was nationalized to become Qatar Petroleum, so that since then oil and gas were fully controlled by the state.

Qatar was a lucky country. Shortly after independence, a Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) field was discovered in the north of its territory. To explore this, the Qatar Gas Company was founded in 1984 and their first LNG export took place in 1996 to Japan.

Video room….Seeing the dedication of the pioneers in developing the country’s oil so that Qatar experienced rapid economic progress.

Biston power generator from England….This was the first electric generator in Qatar.

In the back room of the Company House, there was a room entitled “Open Storage” which displayed some of the equipment used by the oil company workers in the early days of its operation. There were tennis rackets, hockey sticks, rugby balls, radios, vehicle wheels, food baskets, typewriters, packaged pineapples with the “Marvel” brand and soft drinks with the “Namlite” brand.

Packaged pineapple fruit with the brand “Marvel”.

In the back room, a room entitled “The Courtyard: Life as a Worker” was designed, in which several white sculptures were built which visualize Qataris working for a British oil company.

Illustration of oil workers at that time.

Walking towards the exit, there was an “Interview” room where the Msheireb Museum team interviewed Qatari pioneers to collect useful information as references, research materials and exhibition materials in this museum.

This was a full reference in Arabic…. Hahaha.

There was also a “Share Your Story” booth that displayed testimonials from pioneer family members about their hard work and life when they were employees of the oil company.

In the same room there was also a “Contemporary Voices” booth. This three-sided screen described the stories of pioneers in a documentary.

Sat back and listened to the stories of pioneer families….So touching.

Or watch the documentary of pioneers themselves….Goosebumps when watching it.

And at the end of museum, several profiles of pioneer oil workers awere displayed in the “Pioneers’ Stories” room. It was narrated that Muhammad bin Muhammad Muftah who worked as a telephone receiver and driver, Jasim bin Qroun as a rigger, Bu Abbas who was in charge of driving an international standard truck to carry geologists, Thamir Muftah who was in charge of handling electricity affairs, Jassim bin Muhammad Jaber Al- Naameh in charge of handling the generator, Ibrahim bin Saleh Bu Matar Al-Muhannadi who served as a houseboy, and finally Mansour bin Khalil Al-Hajiri who became the first employee at an oil company and served as a guide, because he was a person who understood everything very well. Qatar region and able to find the place you were looking for even in the dark or fog.

I slowly read each of their heroic stories.

Mr. Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Hitmi, firefighter at Qatar Petroleum Production Authority.

Finished exploring the Company House, I exited at back door. I had a chance to stop at Empirecof, a small coffee shop located in the courtyard of this museum.

After having coffee, I took the time to eat my lunch in the Company House yard. In this park there was a free water station which could be used to drink for free…. Wow, Qatar.

“Where is the museum gate, Sir?”, was the question which tourists often ask me during a break in the park.

My visit to the Company House was really over, it was time for me to head to another part of Msheireb Museum.

Come on, follow me again….

Company House: Awal Mula Kejayaan Ekonomi Qatar

20 September 202013 January 2023travelingpersecond

<—-Kisah Sebelumnya

Ternyata tak hanya aku, semua turis dibuat kebingungan untuk menemukan pintu masuk. Kata itulah yang diucapkan seorang staff pria yang keluar memanggilku dan mengarahkanku memasuki museum.

“Welcome to Msheireb Museum, you should know that this museum consists of four parts. They are Company House which you are currently visiting. In west of this building is Bin Jelmood House, while in east there is Radwani House. Another one, across that street (pointing at Bin Jalmood Street), is Mohammed Bin Jassim House. To make it easier for understanding all stories inside the museum, please install Msheireb Museums application. You can be guided by this application. Please write your identity in guest book, and welcome to Msheireb Museums“, hafalannya tersampaikan dengan lancar.

“Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir. Where are you come from, Sir?”, singkat aku menjawab dan bertanya.

“Bangladesh”, jawabnya dengan penuh senyum.

Yes, belajar dimulai…..

Jika kamu ingin mengetahui perihal….

Bagaimana ekonomi Qatar bangkit dari keterpurukan……dan bagaimana perjuangan mereka menemukan minyak bumi……

Disinilah tempatnya.

—-****—-

Jadi di episode akhir petualanganku di Qatar, isi tulisan ini akan sangat serius. Tak ada majas….Tak ada sastra….Tak ada puisi….yuk, balik ke bangku sekolahan.

The history is begin……

Pertama kali, di pintu masuk museum terdapat logo perusahaan minyak terkenal yang menunjukkan bahwa pendirian dan pembiayaan museum ini disponsori oleh Qatar Shell.

Setelah melewati reception desk dijelaskan dalam sebuah tulisan bahwa bangunan ini adalah rumah dari Hussain Al-Naama, manager Doha Port, dibangun pada tahun 1920, lalu di sewa oleh Anglo-Persian Oil Company (Perusahaan Inggris pemegang kontrak eksklusif untuk eksplorasi minyak di Qatar) pada tahun 1935 dan digunakan sebagai kantor pusatnya selama dua dekade. Alkisah, pencarian dan eksplorasi minyak Qatar dimulai dari rumah ini.

Inilah truk yang digunakan untuk mengangkut pekerja ke ladang minyak di sebelah barat Qatar.

Diceritakan para pekerja ini akan pulang dalam satu bulan untuk mengambil gaji, lalu diizinkan pulang ke rumah mereka dalam sehari saja untuk bertemu keluarga, setelah itu mereka harus kembali ke ladang minyak kembali untuk bekerja. Museum ini didedikasikan untuk para pioneer tersebut yang memaknai endurance, pengorbanan dan komitmen untuk membangun Qatar….#airmatamulaimeleleh

Perjalanan industri minyak Qatar disusun dengan bekas pipa-pipa minyak.

Kembali ke tahun 1920-an, saat itu Qatar adalah negara yang bergantung pada perdagangan, perikanan dan hasil tangkap mutiara. Dan negara ini sudah diambang kehancuran ekonomi karena Perang Dunia Pertama, Great Depression 1929 dan semenjak mutiara bisa dibudidayakan di Jepang.

Original banget ya pipanya….Aku terpesona.

Perlu kamu ketahui bahwa penangkapan mutiara adalah pekerjaan penuh resiko. Pada tahun 1929, pernah terjadi badai yang menenggelamkan 80% kapal di Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman dan Qatar. Badai ini menewaskan lima ribu jiwa.

Masuk ke tahun 1940-an, terjadi Perang Dunia Kedua, usaha eksplorasi minyak Qatar sempat terhenti. Hal ini membuat seluruh warga Qatar kembali tidak memiliki harapan, karenanya mereka telah berfikir untuk kembali melaut mencari mutiara.

Beruntung pada tahun 1946, setahun setelah selesainya Perang Dunia Kedua, Inggris kembali ke Qatar untuk melanjutkan eksplorasi. Saat mereka tiba, kapan tanker tidak bisa berlabuh di Perairan Zikrit karena dangkal. Maka dibuatlah terminal ekspor baru di Umm Said, selatan Doha. Lalu berlanjut dengan dibangunnya pipa-pipa minyak dari Umm Said ke Dukhan. Usaha yang tak kenal menyerah, pada akhirnya membuat Qatar berhasil melakukan ekspor minyak bumi pertamanya pada 31 Desember 1949. Dalam perkembangan selanjutnya, produksi minyak di Qatar meningkat tajam dari yang semula dibawah 50.000 Barrel/hari pada tahun 1949 menjadi lebih dari 2.000.000 Barrel/hari pada tahun 2010….Wah keren yaaaa.

Babak penting berikutnya, Qatar mendapatkan kemerdekaan dari Inggris pada 3 September 1971. Tiga tahun setelahnya dibentuklah Qatar General Petroleum Company. Dan pada tahun 1977, Qatar General Petroleum Company dan Shell Qatar Ltd. dinasionalisasi menjadi Qatar Petroleum, sehingga sejak saat itu minyak dan gas bumi di kuasai negara seutuhnya.

Qatar memang negara yang beruntung. Tak lama setelah kemerdekaan, ditemukan ladang Liquid Natural Gass (LNG) di utara wilayahnya. Untuk mengeksplorenya, didirikanlah Perusahaan Gas Qatar pada tahun 1984 dan ekspor LNG pertama mereka terjadi pada tahun 1996 ke Jepang.

*Video room*….Melihat pengabdian para *pionerr* dalam membangun minyak negara hingga Qatar mengalami kemajuan ekonomi yang pesat.

Generator listrik Biston dari Inggris….Inilah generator listrik pertama di Qatar.

Di ruangan belakang Company House, disediakan sebuah ruangan bartajuk “Open Storage” yang menampilkan beberapa peralatan para pekerja perusahaan minyak di awal-awal beroperasinya. Tampak raket tenis, stick hoki, bola rugby, radio, velg kendaraan, rantang makanan, mesin ketik, buah nanas kemasan dengan merk “Marvel” dan sofdrink bermerk “Namlite”.

Buah nanas kemasan dengan merk “*Marvel*”

Di ruang paling belakang didesain ruang bertajuk “The Courtyard: Life as a Worker”, di dalamnya dibangun beberapa sculpture putih yang memvisualisasikan para Qataris sedang bekerja di perusahaan minyak Inggris.

Berjalan ke arah pintu keluar, tertampil sebuah ruang “Interview” dimana tim Msheireb Museum mewawancara para pioneer asli Qatar untuk mengumpulkan informasi yang berguna sebagai referensi, bahan penelitian dan bahan pameran di museum ini.

Nah ini, referensi *full* dalam bahasa Arab….Hahaha.

Terdapat juga juga booth “Share Your Story” yang menampilkan testimoni para anggota keluarga pioneer perihal kerja keras dan kehidupan mereka semasa menjadi karyawan perusahaan minyak itu.

Dalam ruangan yang sama terdapat juga booth “Contemporary Voices”. Layar tiga sisi ini mendeskripsikan kisah-kisah para pioneer dalam sebuah film dokumenter.

Duduk dan dengarkan kisah yang terucap dari keluarga para *pioneer*….Mengharukan.

Atau tontonlah film dokumenter para *pioneer* itu sendiri….Merinding menontonnya.

Dan di bagian akhir museum ditampilkan beberapa profil pioneer pekerja minyak dalam ruang “Pioneers’ Stories”. Dikisahkan Muhammad bin Muhammad Muftah yang bekerja sebagai penerima telepon dan pengemudi, Jasim bin Qroun sebagai rigger (Juru Ikat), Bu Abbas yang bertugas mengendarai truk standard internasional untuk membawa para geologist, Thamir Muftah yang bertanggung menangani urusan listrik, Jassim bin Muhammad Jaber Al-Naameh yang bertugas menangani generator, Ibrahim bin Saleh Bu Matar Al-Muhannadi yang bertugas sebagai houseboy, dan terakhir adalah Mansour bin Khalil Al-Hajiri yang menjadi karyawan pertama di perusahaan minyak dan bertugas sebagai guide (pemandu), karena beliau orang yang sangat memahami seluruh wilayah Qatar dan mampu menemukan tempat yang dicari dalam gelap atau kabut sekalipun.

Kubaca pelan setiap kisah kepahlawanan mereka.

Mr. Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Hitmi, pemadam kebakaran di Qatar Petroleum Production Authority.

Selesai menjelajah Company House, aku keluar dari dari pintu belakang. Kusempatkan singgah di Empirecof, sebuah coffee shop mungil yang terletak di pelataran museum ini.

Selesai berkopi ria, aku menyempatkan diri memakan bekal makan siangku di halaman Company House. Di taman ini disediakan free water station yang bisa dimanfaatkan untuk minum secara gratis….Wah mantab Qatar.

“*Where is the museum gate, Sir?”,* pertanyaan turis yang sering diutarakan padaku saat istirahat di taman.

Kunjunganku di Company House telah benar-benar usai, saatnya aku pergi menuju bagian Msheireb Museum yang lain.

Yukkk ikut aku lagiii……..

Kisah Selanjutnya—->