"ملف رقم 10/3 III امتياز نفط قطر" [و‎‎١‎٥‎١] (٤٧٠/٣٢٣)

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shown on Fraser-HuntGi s rnap, stands by itself, as sucli an arrangGmGnt was nGver
apparently rGcordGd in writing by the two partiGS or officially confirmGd. Such a
line would, of course, be quite inconsistent with the maintenance of the blue line.
It would equally give a very substantial extension to the boundaries of Qatar an
extension of much more practical importance now than in 1922, when there was no
question of active exploitation of the hinterland, and our concern was chiefly to
maintain the independence of the sheikhdoms of the Arab littoral against Tbn Saud.
The statement is, no doubt, an alternative version of Sir P. Cox's warning to Ibn Saud
as to the eastern boundary of any concession to be granted by him in respect of Hasa
discussed in tliG prGCoding paragraph, of which an authoritative record based on
personal knowledge is given in Colonel Dickson's letter of 4th July 1933, No. 143.
I.P.C. M ap of F ebruary- M arch 1933.
8. The map compiled by the I.P.C. geologists during their survey in Qatar in
February -March 1933 marks a southern boundary line starting on the sca-coast
immediately south of Jabul-cl-Naksh about 10 miles north of Salwa town and
12 miles north of the head of Dohat-as-Salwa Bay, turning abruptly to the south-
souch -east immediately south-east of Jabul-el-Naksh for a distance of some 12 miles
to Qalat-ali-Bin-Said, and thence running due east, leaving Tuair-al-Hamir on its
left, through the Wadi-al-Ghurban to the sea, which it apparently leaches at a point
some 8 miles north of the outlet of the Khor-al-'Odcid inlet and not very far into the
Naqiyan Sandhills,
The A.P.O.C., in communicating a copy of this map, remarked : " The dotted line
boundary to the south of Qatar is apparently the Sheikh's version of the line. The
I.P.C. report, however, is not definite about this."
The A.P.O.C. have since reported that, according to one member (Haji A. F.
Williamson) of the geological party which visited Qatar in February and March
1933, the southern boundary shown on their map w^as indicated by the Sheikh
himself. If the line in fact represents his view, the boundary, as will be seen, will
correspond very closely to the pre-war line recorded by Lorimer.
C onclusions as to the S outhern B oundary of Q atar.
9. It is suggested, in the light of the evidence collected above —
(a) that the south-eastern boundary of Qatar must lie to the north of the
Khor-al-'Odeid and the district of 'Aqal;
that while His Majesty's Government had at no stage formally recognised
any specific southern boundary to Qatar (save to the extent icferred to m
(a)), such evidence as is available goes to show that the pre-war
boundary ran roughly south-east across the base of the Peninsula, from
Dohat-as-Salwa, or a point slightly north of it, to a point north of the
Khor -al-'Odeid. There is no recorded evidence of any more extensive
claims by the Sheikh of Qatar other than those to Abu Dhabi territory
referred to in paragraph 2 above ; m -i i r r\ .
in the light of the above, that, if it proves that the^ Sheikh of Qatar now
regards the line shown on the I.P.C. map as his southern boundary,
this may be accepted by His Majesty's Government as generally
satisfactory. Acceptance of that line, if we continue to regard the blue
line of the 1913 Convention as the eastern boundary o± Ibn baud s
territories (or even if we were to agree to the attribution of the Barr-ah
Qarah district lying east of the blue line to Hasa (see paragraph 18
below)) will admittedly leave an area of undetermined ownership between
Qatar and Nejd. The problems involved in this are discussed in greater
detail in paragraphs 10 and following If however. His Majesty s
Government are prepared to face them, the boundary m question has the
merits that it is consistent with the obligations we have undertaken to
Abu Dhabi • it is equally consistent with the maintenance of the blue
line of thei9J3 Convention as against Ibn Saud (or with such a modih-
cation of that line as is referred to m paragraph 19 (c) (i) below and i
has the advantage of definitely limiting the area of any commitments m
respect of protection, &c., into which His Majesty s Government may think
it desirable to enter in the event of an oil concession being granted by the
Sheikh.
P.Z. 450/34,
(c)