'File 82/27 III (F 84) APOC: Qatar Oil' [‎80r] (157/638)

(fS)
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: that it (ti) The area lying between the blue line and the boundaries recognised for Qatar
tem ext^' aS a ^ ove to regarded, subject to confirmation by the Resident that
not e ^ 110 c ^ a ^ rn ^ em ^ made or could be substantiated west of Aqal by Abu
thin Dhabi, as of indeterminate ownership. As it appears to be largely
les | ,5^: inhospitable desert under Ikhwan control, save for the coastal strip of the
rec ^ ■ Barr-al-Qarah, the likelihood that oil companies will actively interest
themselves in it is probably small, if they do, on the principle that Ibn
ve llea Saud has no interest east of the blue line, it might be necessary to consider
rter is tklii whether to attribute it to Qatar or Abu Dhabi (the wording of the 1913
eniment aii !l | Convention, as quoted in paragraph 5 above, would assist us in claiming it
"jttt ironi Lorit- for Qatar). It would in any event be desirable, in order to prevent foreign
je seen, LOjij;, interests from endeavouring to establish a foothold I d it, to consider in what
^jaqofHasa. way it could best be made clear that we regarded it as falling within our
ls assumptiotit own sphere of influence or that of one of our Trucial allies.
{ 50 : When once oil operations have started in Qatar, to convey a. warning (if and
^ ec the pre-- when circumstances should make this appear advisable) through the Sheikh of
i},me muter.:; Qatar to the migratory Bedouin tribes who use the area referred to in (d) that
P- for whater; j n t | ie event of their crossing, with hostile intent or save for normal peaceful
aucea tope®; pursuits, such as grazing, such line as may be fixed as the boundary of
was m fact fe Qatar, they will do so at their own peril. The local political authorities
the fact thai J would no doubt be able to ascertain and to advise what customary rights in
reasons wkicli ; respect of grazing, &c. these migratory tribes at present enjoy within Qatar
ncluded in iti proper. On the question whether any corresponding intimation should be
made to Ibn Saud in respect of tribes permanently belonging to Nejd but
using the indeterminate area it seems definitely preferable, in the interest of
avoiding discussion with him of the position of the indeterminate area and
and subject to t| of the blue line, to make no communication unless and until circumstances
it, the bestcoi make this quite inevitable. The question of any communication in respect
of Nejdi tribes (if any) using Qatar territory could equally be postponed
• shall be accef: unless and until circumstances may make it necessary to consider it.
th, a line mm
the latitude ofi India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. , J. G. Laithwaite.
north side oh 26th January 1934.
nap would sate , ^ . .
present clainied: [N.B.—The conclusions suggested in paragraph 19 were accepted by the (government
dificationtok of India and the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in their telegrams Nos. 408 of 21st February
va Bav andsc and 244 of 27th February respectively. His Majesty's Minister at Jedda has
'ild b'e considff suggested consideration of the desirability of leaving the boundaries of Qatar
'undefined until the time comes to assert Blue Line principle" (Jedda Saving
acrainst ItaSai telegram No. 8 of 14th February).]
istern
boufldary
the ground oi -
3 in 1922, $ ref®
APPENDIX.
Boundaries of Qatar.
either-
.that'hey*
tions
he blue 311 j —E xtracts from L orimer's G azetteer.
alidityof t:
a) undesira^ 55 (i) Qatar.
{ leaving - (N.B. —Mr. Lorimer's article on Qatar is stated to be the result of special enquiries
for c J 1 .^j 3[ made over a number of years locally.)
jjarr-aK 1 Lorimer, Vol. II, page 1506, defines the boundaries of Qatar as follows :—
" On the east, north and west, Qatar is surrounded by the sea. The southern
iess ion iii re3 [ boundary is somewhat indeterminate. It begins at the foot of Dohat-as-Salwa
lS guch $ ' on the western side of the promontory, and from that point runs south-eastwards
II • been tltf 511 to the wells of Sakak : thence, according to one account, it strikes east-north-
hat Hi s % east to the north end of the Naqiyan sandhills, or, according to another, east by
• jitbe^ south to the southern end of the same hills on the north side of the entrance to
'l^ct,^, Khor-al-'Odaid. As the territory of the Trucial Sheikh of Abu Dhabi has riever
III clearly been asserted to extend beyond Khor-al-'Odaid, and as the Al-Thani
.Sheikhs of Qatar undoubtedly claim the Naqiyan tract, the latter of the two