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Coll 30/87(2) Part I 'Qatar: Oil Concession.' [‎490r] (996/1310)

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The record is made up of 4 volumes (639 folios). It was created in 14 Jan 1935-8 Nov 1944. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: 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. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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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. .
Confidential.
Memo. B. 432
r-PoUtical agreement between His Majesty’s Government in the
March the KUWait OU Co “P an y’ ^ 5 th
IHjS AGRE EME NT dat ed the Fifth day of March One thousand nine hundred
and thirty-four is made BETWEEN His Majesty’s Government in the United
Kingdom (hereinafter called “His Majesty's Government”) of the one part and
the Kuwait Oil Company Limited (hereinafter called “the Company” which
expiession shall where the context so admits be deemed to include its successors
and/or assignees) of the other part.
t]l - G e / y ent . of tlle Kuwait Oil Company obtaining a concession from
til6 bheikh of Kowoit 0i6r6in£iffpr p^llprl ^ ^ ironi
Qoyernment ’ the c ° mpa ^ has “ d
“'-“‘“'"S JBBr,cStWJJSS
2 Notwithstanding anything contained in the Agreement between the Comnanv
and the Sheikh the obligations and benefits of that Agreement shall not be transferred
to am other Company without the prior consent in writing of His Maipcitv’a P
ment, and shall not be transferred b any Company in mole £ S | p^r 1^’
tLl BriSh subfectl 8 P ° Wer 18 ectly ° r indlrectl y oontro lled by persons other'
3. The employees of the Company in Koweit shall at all times so far as is
consistent with the efficient carrying on of the undertaking be British subiects or
subjects of the Sheikh. With the consent of His Majesty’s Government 3 which
consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, persons of other nationalities may be
on'crf’tlm^undertaking 1 . 111011 ^ r6<luired for the efficieilt oarr^ing
Notwithstanding anything contained in the Agreement between the Companv
and the Sheikh, the importation of foreign native labour shall be subiect to the
approval of 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 the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . J ’ *
4. One of the superior local employees of the Company shall be designated chief
local representative of the Company in Koweit. The approval of His Majesty's
Government shall be required for the person so designated. He will be ordinarily
resident at Koweit and will be responsible for the Company's local relations with the
Koweit authorities. These local relations shall always be conducted through the
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. at Koweit, except as regards routine commercial business, which may
be transacted through the official representative (if any) whom the Sheikh may
appoint under the Agreement between the Company and the Sheikh. ^
5 Subject to the terms of the concession the Company undertakes at all times to
pay due deference to the wishes of the Sheikh and to the advice of the Political Auent
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 the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . g 1
6. The right given to the_ Company by its Agreement with the Sheikh to utilise
means of transportation by air shall be subject to any general regulations for civil
aircraft made by the Sheikh on the advice of His Majesty’s Government.
7. In the application of the right given to the Sheikh by his Agreement with the
Company to make full use free of charge of the Company’s wireless and teleo-ranh
installations and railways for governmental purposes in times of national emergency
the Sheikh acting on the advice of His Majesty’s Government shall be the sole kid^e
whether a national emergency ” has arisen. J &
S. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Agreement between the Company
and the bheikh the Company shall not have the right to use or occupy, and shall not
P.Z. 1047.34 (27.2.34).
3567
and is not for publicatio n.
150 3.35

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Content

The file concerns the signing of the agreement between the British Government, the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) (later the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company), and the Shaikh of Qatar, Abdullah bin Qasim al Thani [‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī] to award the company an exclusive oil concession in Qatar (also spelled Qatr and Katr). The file also concerns preliminary oil explorations in Qatar, and the subsequent suspension of operations on the orders of the British Government.

The papers cover: discussion, drafts and text of the commercial agreement between the Shaikh of Qatar and APOC (signed 17 May 1935); discussion, draft and text of the political agreement between HM Government and APOC (signed 5 June 1935); the use by the Shaikh of modern, Egyptian Arabic to make comments on the draft (folios 624-625); British support for the proposal that disputes between foreign employees of the company and inhabitants of Qatar should not be submitted to the Shara [Sharia] courts (folio 604); intelligence on the activities of the Standard Oil Company [California-Arabia Standard Oil Company] (e.g. folio 443); British emphasis that military protection would be afforded to the Shaikh of Qatar on condition that he awarded the oil concession to APOC, and the assumption by Britain of responsibility for the protection of Qatar (e.g. folios 400-403); the transfer of the concession from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company to Petroleum Development (Qatar) Limited (e.g. folios 335-357); the payment of salaries to the Shaikh's representatives (e.g. folios 294-295); water drilling operations by the company (e.g. folios 237-241); references to Qatar's disputed border with Saudi Arabia; reports of preliminary drilling results and first discoveries of oil (1939-41); employment of foreign personnel by Petroleum Concessions Limited in Qatar (folios 180-182); the suspension of drilling operations on the orders of HM Government in 1942 as a result of war conditions, including correspondence on the subject between British officials and the Shaikh of Qatar, 1942-43; note that the suspension had been ordered because the British military authorities were unable to spare sufficient personnel to ensure the destruction of the oil wells, should the military situation demand it (folio 41); correspondence dated 1944 concerning a proposed increase in world oil refining capacity; and further correspondence dated 1944 concerning the boundary between Qatar and Bahrain at Hawar Island.

The main correspondents are senior officials at the 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. , representatives of the oil companies concerned, 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 the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .

The Arabic language content of the file consists of approximately 30 folios of correspondence, largely between British officials and the Ruler of Qatar.

The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
4 volumes (639 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: this file consists of four physical volumes. The foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover of volume one (ff 1-161) and terminates at the inside back cover of volume four (ff 486-647); these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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Coll 30/87(2) Part I 'Qatar: Oil Concession.' [‎490r] (996/1310), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3806A, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100047810668.0x0000c5> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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