'File 7/4 Aviation and Air Force Matters' [‎77r] (160/506)

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'rom. The Adviser•
Govern»ent of Bahrain®
'o. Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. .
Bahrain•.
O/ No 157 of 10th July 1929.
[emorandunu
With reference to the question of the Landing Ground in Manama,
'he Landing Ground, which was marked out at the request of The Political
)fficer about two years ago, is a square whose sides are 1800 feet
.mmediately south of The Palace, to the south of Manama town,
a At the time that the Landing Ground was marked out nothing was
definitely suggested or arranged as to its permancy.
The Landing Ground was formerly on a plain on the north of the Rafaa
*oad some five miles out of Manama. This situation was thought to be
^ather far away.
The present Ending Ground, with the exception of a small area on
she east, is the property of the Bahrein Government. There are two plots,
narked " A " and n B n which overlap into the Landing Ground. One of
:hese, " B " was originally the property of Shaikh Sulman bin Hamed, the
Shaikh's eldest son, the other plot was lately gifted by Shaikh ^amed to
Shaikh Sulman. Both plots are now under cultivation and are irrigated
Dy an artesian well.
The area occupied by the Landing Ground is a valuable property.
The soil is particularly good for agricultural purposes and it is possible
bo obtain water by sinking wells on any part of the area. The site is
lear Manama and adjacent to the suburb of Gazabia.
When H.E # Shaikh Hamed granted permission for its use as a Landing
Jround he certainly had no idea of presenting the Air Porce with any
iefinite or permanent rights over the property. Its demarcation was
taken to be in the nature of a temporary arrangement carrying with it
10 rights.
I now understand that The Air Force require a permanent Landing
Ground of the size of the present one with a clear area around it of 400
yards in each direction.
This is impossible in the case of the present site^ as is apparent
from the map. Except on the north west corner of the Landing Ground the
border is almost adjacent to private property, and on the south there
is a hill and some rough ground which makes it unsuitable for landing.
Regarding the rights of the Eastern, and General Syndicate. At
present, as far as The Bahrain Government is aware, the Syndicate hold
an Exploration Licence which permits them to search the surface to a
depth of not exceeding 20 feet in any portion of The Shaikh's territories
They will presumably in due course apply for theirP?rospecting Licence
and finally for a Mining Lease under which The Shaikh has guaranteed
that he will grant to them an aggregate area not exceeding 100,000
square acres, divided into not more than three blocks, which shall be
selected by the compani^. The situation of these blocks is of course
not yet decided. The following extract of Article.l. of the Mining
Lease^indicates the Company's rights.
H He ( The Shaikh ) also grants to the Company the exclusive right
to construct and operate refineries and storage tanks within this area
and also the right, but not the exclusive right, to construct, erect
and operate pipe lines, refineries and storage tanks, railways wharves
and jetties,tramways, roads, buildings, machinery and telegraph apparatus
of all kinds in any part of the territory under the control of The
Shaikh so far as may be necessary for the purpose of their business. *
According to this clause it appears that the Syndicate will have