'Memorandum on the Oil Concessions in the Arab Sheikhdoms' [‎2v] (4/18)

South-oast cornor . f ij^dblci) as a "baso for reconnoitring anc
patrolling ovor th^ Indian Ocean anJ the entrance to the G-ulf •
6, "As re;;:r(l£ the sec^ixl iriportant new factor, nancly, oil, it
need not "be enphasiaed hov/ inportant t - a sea power like our
selves it is to have oil reserves in this area which we can readily
draw upon in tine of need, as an addition or alternative to the
Persian and Iraq supplies, ^ccess tv. the oil of the Sheikhdoms
is, moreover, not as in the case of the Iraq and Persian oilfields
dependent upon the goodwill of countries anxi j>us to assert their own
national independence,
7, T he na tur e of our relations with the P t uLers and the importance
of maintaining our present exclusive position. As has "been pointed
out above, Kuscat is the only one of the ^jrdb Sheikhdoms which
receives any subsidy from ourselves but in spite of this we have
so far been able to obtain from the Rulers, with the greatest ease
and goodwill, such wartime requirements as we have asked for. Thus,,
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they have provided the R,A,F, with all tho facilities in their
territories which have been required, When at the time of. the
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German threat to the Caucasus and beyond, it was considered
necessary to construct an alternative port to Basra on the territory
of the Sheikh of Koweit, the latter offered us all tho assistance
at his command with the utmost readiness, Again, when it was
found necessary to plug a proportion of the oil wells already
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drilled and tc cease further exploration, the Rulers accepted this
without serious demur in spite of their natural desire for the
expeditious exploitation of the concessions,
8, It may well be asked -./hat is the reason that we have hitherto
"been able to secure with so little difficulty and such conspicuous
goodwill our requirements in these states. The answer is that . .
the Sheikhdoms regard H.Iu.G, as their natural protector both within
the limits of our Treaty obligations raid outside them. They consider
with some truth, that it io only that stands between them and
absorption/