'File 10/3 III Qatar Oil Concession' [102v] (221/470)
The record is made up of 1 volume (223 folios). It was created in 27 Jan 1934-24 Mar 1934. 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.
Transcription
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Position of Area lying between Base of Qatar Peninsula and Blue Line of
Anglo-Turkish Convention of 1913.
10 If in these circumstances, it is accepted that the southern boundary of Qatar
should be a line running via or to the north of Sakak more or less south-east fmn
I )ohat -as -Salwa or a point slightly to the north of Do.iat-as-Salwa to a point to ^
north of the Khor-al-Odeid, the difficult question arises ot the position ol the country
lying between such a line and the blue line of the Anglo-Turkish Convention of 1913.
Importance of Maintaining the Blue Line.
11. On the one hand, it appears definitely important if possible to maintain the
blue line laid down in the unratified Anglo-Turkish Convention of 1913 as against
Ibn Saud or any other future ruler of this part of Arabia.. While the 1913 Convention
was never ratified, the blue line at any rate represents the agreement reached at the
time between Turkey and His Majesty's Government as to the limits of Turkish
authority in northern Arabia and on the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
, and in dealing with Ibn Sand
as the successor in title to the Turks we can, it would seem, not unreasonably take
our stand on it. The difficulties of finding any satisfactory substitute are patent.
The undesirability of giving Ibn Saud, in the absence of any definite eastern boundary
to his territories, an excuse for territorial expansion (as distinct from the exercise, as
at present, of an informal influence and the receipt from our Arab clients of payments
which we do not recognise and the existence of which we ignore) in the hinterland of
the
Trucial Coast
A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates.
and of Muscat is equally clear. Such expansion would clearly
involve a risk either of his coming into conflict with the local rulers, whose treaty
relations with His Majesty's Government he has formally lecognised, or of -his
establishing an influence in the Sheikhdoms in question so powerful as to be
embarrassing from our point of view. It is relevant, finally, that confidential infor
mation suggests that Ibn Sand does nothimself at the moment seriously question the
blue line.
Disadvantages of Maintenance of the Blue Line while fixing Southern Boundary
of Qatar at the Base of the Qatar Peninsula.
12. At the same time, important on general grounds, for the reasons given, as
the maintenance of the blue line appears to be, the fact must be faced, that in the
present case, if we continue to regard it as the eastern boundary of Ibn Saud's territory,
and if, as suggested, we accept a southern boundary lor Qatar running roughly across
the base of the Qatar Peninsula, a not inconsiderable area lying between the two
States, and peopled by migratory Bedouin tribes, will be left in an indeterminate
political position. There is a possibility that the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi, who lias in
the past exercised a wide influence, and made tribal alliances of his own, in the
prucial hinterland — cf. Sir P. Cox's letter No. 176 of 28th June 1904—might prefer
some claim to such an area. But, though on this point further information will be
sought from the Resident, there seems little evidence of any active interest on the
part of Ahu Dhabi in any area to the west of Aqal. Assuming that no such claim
exists, or could be substantiated, the alternatives are to recognise the area as
belonging to Ibn Saud ; to recognise it as belonging to the Sheikh of Qatar ; or to
regard it as a political no-man's land.
13. If we recognised it as belonging to Ihn Saud we Could, if necessary, call upon
him to keep Bedouin raids into Qatar from it under control. But such recognition
would not merely be inconsistent with the maintenance of the blue line of the 1913
Convention, to the abandonment of which, as stated above, the objections appear to be
stiong, but would represent a formal acceptance of Saudi sovereignty to the borders
oi Qatar and Abu Dhabi which might well prove embarrassing.
. l 4 ' , If ; on the other baud, it is attributed to tbe Sheikh of Qatar, we should be
justified m expecting the full co-operation of the Sheikh in dealing with Bedouin
activities within its limits. But such an attribution would not meiely'to give lo Qatar
a substantial area which she does not in the past appear to have claimed, but would
extend ie imits of any liability for protection which we may undertake in coimection
with the grant of an 01 concession. It might be necessary to claim the area {or at
any rate its coastal strip) for Qatar if there were serious signs of foreign m erest
in it or of an intention on the part of Ibn Saud to occupy it But pending such
assaasr: s'r"-——• •»<"'— s —
About this item
- Content
The volume contains correspondence between 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 Bushire, 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. in Bahrain and the Secretary of State for India, on the Qatar oil concession, on the Southern boundary of Qatar and on the role of Ibn Saud in the negotiation.
The volume includes:
- meeting notes, copies of telegrams and letters on Qatar and Kuwait oil concessions;
- note from 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. in Kuwait to 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. dated 23 Jan 1934 about the Qatar and Hasa Oil concessions and the Kuwait Neutral Zone (ff. 60-63);
- memorandum on the political importance of 'the maintenance of a British position on the Arab littoral of the Gulf' (ff. 71-76) and the need to offer protection to the Sheikh of Qatar in return for an 'undertaking on his part to grant a concession to the Anglo Persian Oil Company (Iraq Petroleum Company);
- correspondence between the British Air Ministry and 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. about air facilities in Qatar;
- note referring to a conversation that occurred at the end of 1922 between Sir Percy, Ibn Saud and Major Holmes regarding the southern boundaries of Qatar and the political relationship between Qatar and Saudi Arabia (f. 116C);
- memorandum from the meetings occurred on 11-12 Mar 1934 between the Sheikh Abdullah bin Qasim al-Thani 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. re oil concession (ff. 131-140);
- copies of draft Qatar Oil Concession;
- a sketch of Qatar, ink on fabric (f. 212);
- memorandum on the frontiers of Saudi Arabia (ff. 196-199).
There is an index at the end of the volume ( folios 211-216).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (223 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers in this file are arranged in chronological order. There is an index at the end of the volume, on folios 211-216. The index is arranged chronologically and refers to documents within the volume; it gives brief description of the correspondence with a reference number, which refers back to that correspondence in the volume.
- Physical characteristics
The foliation is on top right-hand corner, starting on the first page of writing and finishing on the back cover. The numbering is in pencil, enclosed by a circle and starts with 1, then 115, 116A, 116B, 116C, then carries on until 221, which is the last number given. There is a second pagination on the top right corner, uncircled, starting on folio 22 (numbered 21) to folio 100 (numbered 99) and then from folio 116a (numbered 113) until folio 210 (numbered 207).
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/412
- Title
- 'File 10/3 III Qatar Oil Concession'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:iii-v, 1r:36r, 36r:45v, 46v, 47v:61r, 61r:63r, 63r:74r, 74r:115v, 116ar:116cv, 117r:120v, 121v:154v, 155ar:155bv, 156r:159r, 159r:169v, 181v:183r, 183r:184r, 184r:196r, 196r:198r, 198r:211v, 213r:220v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence