File 10/5 II Hasa oil: CASOC's activities in Hasa; development of Ras Tannura; Political Agent's visit to Hasa [‎131r] (266/656)

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enclosure in Air Ministry covering note dated
21st Fe'bruarv, 19 39 .
L A IP. ivIIlTISTRY,
99/A.D.C.0.1. 21st Peloruary 1939
Dear Burchallj
Will you please refer to your letter to Burkett of the 2nd
February (reference GM1/344) about the desire of the Standard
Oil Company of California to obtain your assistance in regard
to air services between Bahrein and Saudi Arabia.
I discussed this with you on the telephone this morning and
you informed me that what you envisaged was that, if you were
able to give the Standard Oil Company technical advice on the
matters set out in the fifth paragraph of your letter,- they
might then charter your planes for a commeicial private service.
There was, however, you thought, no question of your Company
being asked to send representatives to Saudi Arabia to survey the
ground or to obtain the necessary permits from the Saudi Arabian
Government. All this would you imagined be undertaken by the
Oil Company themselves.
This would dispose of the only difficulty which the Foreign
Office, whom we have consulted, foresaw. The Foreign Office
believe that the Saudi Arabian authorities are in general
reluctant to allow any British enterprise to work in that part of
Saudi Arabia which is in question, since they are rather suspi
cious of anything which they may regard as an attempt to eztend
British influence in the Persian G-ulf area. Thus it is quite
possible that the Saudi Arabian authorities, if asked
for permission for Imperial Airways representatives to visit
that Dart of Saudi Arabia, would refuse their consent, and if
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Imperial Airways were to send people, without the J "now!edge of
the Saudi authorities, the latter would no doubt object very
strongly if they got to hear of it later.
T" /
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Col. h . Eur chall, I). S . 0. ,
Imperial
wa,y s ,
airways Terminus,
Victoria Station, S.Y/.l.
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