Definition of "bey"

She was chaperoned by the widow of a Bey whose son had been at Oxford with him, and this gave him the excuse to exchange a few words with her, and then to be presented to the Princess.

1978, Lawrence Durrell, Livia (Avignon Quintet), Faber & Faber, published 1992, page 512

Whether his position with the Third Circle made the difference or the fact that he ranked as a bey, life in El Iskandryia was proving easier than he'd ever dreamed possible when he stepped off the plane.

2005, Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Pashazade, page 15