'Historical Summary of Events in the Persian Gulf Shaikhdoms and the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, 1928-1953' [‎20v] (45/222)

28
, i j-j . waters ( 69 ) In the letter to Salman it was
Dibal and Jaradah did not carry territorial wat ■ sr)ons ibiiitY for the foreign
stated that in view of His Majesty's ^/^^sea bed^S a matter in
Sh rfinaMecSmust rest wiTh His Mgty. Governmem, Salman —
Accept tT94V\wfr7a b n e d prompdy'issued peremptory
sasaas arrsst S
their concession so that matters were never brought to f n . h ® a ^ nfl . c f^ r it S h U shaikh
the Shell Overseas Exploration Company had not come mt0 ^ oil
Salman hv the end of 1953 and are less vulnerable than the bupenoi uu
Comnanv as they have their headquarters in Qatar instead of Bahrain. o rep y
was s ^m to Salmaii^sletter of September 1951 but it is Her Majesty's Governments
policy to adhere to the 1947 line. vu d i '
46 The Bahrain Petroleum Company acting in accordance with the Ruler s
wishes and in spite of protests by the political authorities in 949 and ^
the whole area including even the territorial waters of Qatar ( ) They touncl no
promise of oil in it(") and should the Shell Company ot Qatar reacn the same
conclusion and not wish to drill in the area it may be possible to postpone bringing
matters to a head with Salman indefinitely. Otherwise much difficulty is bkely to
be experienced in dealing with him as his feelings on the subject are only slight!)/
less strong than they are about Zubarah 18th-century town located 105 km from Doha. .
47. In 1949 His Majesty's Government in the light ol the opinion of experts
considered the desirability of making substantial alterations in the line
announced( ~) in 1947 but eventually decided it was better to adhere to the origina
decision. They were inclined however to revise their opinion that the Dibal and
Jaradah did not carry territorial waters but this point had not been finally decided
by the end of 1953.
(c) The Sea-bed and Islands between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia
48. A detailed note on the islands and shoals in dispute between Bahrain and
Saudi Arabia was prepared in the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. in 195l.C)
49. In 1936 the Ruler of Bahrain placed markers on the Bainah Islands,
which lie in the channel between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and in 1938 they were
included in the " additional area " in respect of which negotiations were proceeding
with Petroleum Concessions Limited! 71 ) (paragraph 64 below). In the same year
the Saudis protested against one of the markers, and were informed, incorrectly, by
His Majesty's Legation at Jedda that the island concerned lay within Bahrain
territorial waters.( 75 ) Subsequently 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. , Bahrain, suggested a
division of the sea-bed which would give one of the islands to Bahrain and one to
Saudi Arabia. The Saudis then raised the question of the ownership of the Fasht al
Jarim and Khor Fasht shoals where the Bahrain Petroleum Company were working.
It was proposed that a representative of Ibn Saud should visit 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. ,
Bahrain, to discuss the whole question of the division of the sea-bed( 7G ) but he never
arrived and nothing further was heard from the Saudis on the subject for some
years.
50. In 1941 the Bahrain Petroleum Company were given permission to carry
out structure drilling on the Bu Sa'afah and Ashirah shoals, on the understanding
that if the Saudi Arabian Government protested the company would suspend
operations and that the absence of any such objection should not be regarded as
establishing Bahrain ownership of the shoals.( 77 ) The Ruler was informed of this
and stated that if Ibn Saud claimed the shoals he would at once withdraw his claim.
Shortly after the company closed down exploration for the duration of the war
and no work was actually carried out on these shoals.( 78 )
( 69 ) P.R. to F.O.
( 70 ) F.O. to P.R.
( 71 ) P.R. to F.O.
( n ) F.O. to P.R.
( 73 ) P.R. to F.O.
( 74 ) I.O. to F.O.
( 73 ) Jedda to F.O,
( 76 ) I.O. to F.O.
( 77 ) I.O. to F.O.
( 78 ) I.O. to F.O.
1539/28 of October 6, 1951 (EA 1272/31 of 1951).
EA 1271/3 of February 1, 1952.
1539/32 of November 12, 1951 (EA 1272/34 of 1951).
EA 1276/39 of August 29, 1950.
1081/1/31 G of June 30, 1951 (EA 1081/43 of 1951).
P.Z. 7831/38 of November 30, 1938 (E 7206/1154/91 of 1938.
Despatch 40 of March 2, 1939 (E 2451 /155/91 of 1939).
Ext. 2334/41 of November 21, 1941 (E 7729/1505/91 of 1941)
Ext. 2107/42 of May 2, 1942 (E 2759/9/91 of 1942).
Ext. 2107/42 of May 2, 1942 (E 2759/9/91 of 1942).
Islands
should!
('') Jei