'F 83 File 82/27-II QATAR OIL' [‎248r] (511/630)

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U) The area lying hetwe*
as in (aj above to I
no claim to them
Dhabi, as of ind
inhospitable desert
Barr al-Qarah, the
themselves in it is
"Sand has no interes
whether to attribn
Convention, as quo
for Qatar). It won.
interests from endej
way it could best b
own sphere of influt
{e) When once oil operati
the Sheikh of Qataj
to the migratory Be
the event of their ■
pursuits, such as £
Qatar, they will do
would no doubt be
respect of grazing, .
proper. On the qi:
made to Ibn Sand
using- the indeterrai
avoiding discussion
of the blue line, to
make this quite int
"of .Nejdi tribes I us
and until circumstai
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. ,
26th January 1934,
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{A .B.—Mr. Lorimer's articl
made
[ Lorimer, Vol. II, page 15C.
I " On the east, north ar
I boundary is somewhat i
on the western side of thi
I to the wells of Sakak. 1
| e ast to the north end of
south to the southern ei
Khor-al-Odaid. As the
• ctearly been asserted to
heikhs of Qatar undou
alternative lines is to b
hor-al-Odaid as belongi
oe placed nearer to True
10 the whole coast as fi
stationed at Dohat-as-Sall
whole southern borde
In Vol. 71, on
creek on the coas
about 180 miles
Qatar is either at.
In Vol. II, pa
at' the base of the
on the north-west
which in a direct
average about 20
westward, from t
by Mijan on the i
on the north-wes1
in Oman, which i
the district has b
territories of the
in the political se
In Vol. II, pc
coast Abu Dhabi
200 miles. The
the Bay of Umm
the Government (
in this direction
jurisdiction ever
inlet should perh
Inland the fronti
they reach to the
presumably be pi
Lorimer, II, .
reckoned as incl
Turkish Convent:
from Ras-as-Sufa
distance of abou
Upon the coast it
inland, in all di
even make Barr-j
Lorimer, II,
the Hasa Oasis tc
with its apex on
port and its othe
Jabrin arid the s
it is separated fr
Mijau ; on the s<
Jafurah encloses
Barr-al-Qarah is
" Jafurah d if.
very bitter watei
sand.
u The Ajman
frequent it to an
entering it unit
. . While sojoi
of their camels a
isteta
[n
larter'
.tracts
I'le
feas
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11c
li P- li
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■ tie fed'
'reason
bit, tie i
itari
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of tie III:
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te te
col lis
s i$it(
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s ecIJ;
U) The area lying betmen the hlne line and the boundaries recognised for Qatar
as in (a) above to be regarded, subject to confirmation by the Resident that
no claim to them is made or could be substantiated west of Aqal by Abu
Dhabi, as of indeterminate ownership. As it appears to be largely
inhospitable desert under Ikhwan control, save for the coastal strip of the
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
'Saucl has no interest east of the blue line, it might be necessary to consider
whether to attribute it to Qatar or Abu Dhabi (the wording of the 1913
Convention, as quoted in paragraph 5 above, would assist us in claiming it
for Qatar). It would in any event be desirable, in order to prevent foreign
interests from endeavouring to establish a foothold in it, to consider in what
way it could best be made clear that we regarded it as falling within our
own sphere of influence orjha^Lpne of our Trucial allies.
|e) When once oil operations l^lve started in Qatar,^t o^co nvey a warning through
onoftr
LUg
the Sheikh of Qatar, if^rtsm circumstances appoS? to make thigynoooocaty
to the migratory Bedouin tribes who use the area referred to in {d) that in
the event of their crossing, with hostile intent or save for normal peaceful
pursuits, such as grazing, such line as may be fixed as the boundary of
Qatar, they will do so at their own peril. The local political authorities
would no doubt be able to ascertain and to advise what customary rights in
respect of grazing, &c. these migratory tribes at present enjoy within Qatar
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
i avoiding discussion with him of the position of the indeterminate area and
of the blue line, to make no communication unless and until'circumstances
)make this qui te inevitable. The question of any communication in respect
of iNejdi tribes ! using Qatar territory could equally be postponed ^unless
and until circumstances w^ve thought W make it necessary
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. ,
26th January 1934,
J. G. L aithwaite.
APPENDIX.
Boundaries of Qatar.
I —E xtracts from L orimer's G azetteer.
m
w
3#"
(i) Qatar,
(O.—Mr. Lorimer's article on Qatar is stated to be the result of special enquiries
made over a number of years locally.)
| 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
boundary is somewhat, indeterminate. It begins at the foot of Dohat-as-Salwa
on the western side of the promontory, and from that point runs south-eastw ards
to the wells of Sakak. Thence, according to one account, it strikes east-north-
east to the north end of the Naqiyan sandhills, or, according to another, east by
south to the southern end of the same hills on the north side of the entrance to
Khor-al-Odaid. As the territory of the Trucial Sheikh of Abu Dhabi has never
clearly been asserted to extend beyond Khor-al-Odaid, and as the Al-lhani
leikhs of Qatar undoubtedly claim the Naqiyan tract, the latter of the two
alternative lines is to be preferred ; the British Government have recognised
Khor-al-Odaid as belonging to Abu Dhabi and the boundary consequently cannot
b e placed nearer to Trucial. Oman, though the Al-Thani Sheikhs assert a right
0 the whole coast as far as the Sabakhat Matti. It is said that three men
stationed at Dohat-as-Salwa, Sakak and Niqa-al-Maharah, respectively, can watcn
e ^hole southern border of Qatar from sea to sea."