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'Confidential D 107 86/5-I Eastern and General Syndicate Ltd. - Saudi Arabia' [‎80r] (164/386)

The record is made up of 1 volume (213 folios). It was created in 5 Mar 1933-30 Jan 1935. It was written in English. 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 Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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Article 14.
It is agreed that all gold payments provided for in this agreement whether
they are gold pounds or shillings, will be reckoned on the basis of gold pounds,
and in accordance with their weight and pureness at the time of payment It
is also agreed that payments may be made in American dollars or pounds sterling
on the above-mentioned basis. It is also agreed that in case the payment of the
loan and the rent for the first year is made in pounds sterling or American dollars,
the rate will then be calculated in accordance with the rate of exchange on the
date of payment.
Article 15.
All payments provided for in this agreement and which ought to
be paid to the Government should be paid to them direct or to their
credit in whatever bank they may fix in writing. The Government
have the right to change this bank from time to time provided that
they inform the Company of such action in writing, so as to enable the Company
to have sufficient time to arrange for subsequent payment to the new bank It is
agreed that the Government shall select this bank, whether m Saudi Arabia, or
in the United States of America, or in England, or in Holland, provided that no
bank be selected in Saudi Arabia, unless it has a correspondent in the Lnited
States of America, England or Holland, through whom the money can be remitted
to Saudi Arabia, and if the Company pays in the proper way to the Government
any payment through the bank or through the correspondent of the bank tor the
purpose of its transmission to Saudi Arabia, the Company will be then free of
any risk in respect of such payment. It has been agreed that the first payment
agreed upon (which is the preliminary loan and the rent of the first year) should
be paid within a period of fifteen days as from the date on which this agreement
comes into force to the correspondents of the Netherlands Trading Society of
Jedda (Saudi Arabia) at New York or London for its transmission and handing
over to the Government against proper and correct receipt. The expenses
incurred in this connexion will be charged to the Company. If this first payment
is not paid in gold it may be paid in pounds sterling at the rate of exchange at the
time the Company pays the said payment to the correspondent of the bank.
Article 16.
After discovering oil in commercial quantities within a reasonable period,
the Company may choose a place in Saudi Arabia for the purpose of establishing
a factory An East India Company trading post. for manufacturing a sufficient quantity of petrol and kerosene to suffice
the needs of the Government. It is understood that the requirements or needs
of the Government will not include the sale of the same on their part inside or
outside the country. . ,
The Company should proceed to establish this factory An East India Company trading post. after completing the
necessary preliminary arrangements and after obtaining the approval of the
Government regarding the place which the Company suggests. -During every
vear following the establishment of this factory An East India Company trading post. the Company should offer to the
Government a loose quantity of about 200,000 gallons of petrol and another of
about 100,000 gallons of kerosene free of charge. It is understood that the
methods of taking over these quantities should not expose the work of the Company
to any danger.
Article 17.
The Company employs at its own expense the number of guards and guides
needed for the protection of its representative camps and establishments. The
Government promise to afford every assistance to the Company in supplying it
with their best soldiers and men and entrust them with this matter. The
Government will offer the Company all reasonable protection at certain wages,
which will not be more than the usual wages paid by the Government. It is
understood that the expenses incurred in connexion with such sei vices should be
paid to the Government by the Company.
Article 18.
In return for the obligations undertaken by the Company in pursuance of
this agreement, and in respect of the payments which are due from the Company
[879 q— 5] B 3

About this item

Content

The volume contains correspondence to and from 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 the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (Trenchard Craven Fowle, Percy Gordon Loch), 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. at Bahrain (Percy Gordon Loch), and 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. at Kuwait (Harold Richard Patrick Dickson) regarding matters in Saudi Arabia and their affect, particularly on Kuwait and Bahrain. The main topic of discussion being a concession in Hasa, Saudi Arabia which was contested by the Standard Oil Company of California and the Iraq Petroleum Company, and was awarded to Standard Oil in July 1933.

The correspondence, primarily between HM's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan) and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Sir John Simon) includes details of the negotiations and translations of the concession agreement which was published in Umm-al-Qura in July 1933. Also discussed are attempts to obtain information about the special agreement between Standard Oil and the Sa'udi Arab Government which was not published and which contained details of the exact values of the concession, the area covered by it, and a clause relating to the Kuwait-Najd neutral zone concession. Later correspondence also discusses the progress being made by Standard Oil in developing their concession.

Other matters discussed in the file include:

  • correspondence 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. at Kuwait regarding rumours that the Shaikh of Kuwait (Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ) travelled to Najd to meet with Ibn Saud (‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd), King of Saudi Arabia, or one of his close advisers to discuss matters including a potential alleviation of the blockade on Kuwait and their joining forces in regards to the oil concession agreement in the neutral zone (ff 6-17);
  • a memorandum written by the Petroleum Department about Petroleum in Arabia which covers the topics: Petroleum prospects in Arabia, interested or potentially interested companies, past concessions affecting Saudi Arabia, the present position. The memorandum includes brief summaries of all the key oil companies and interested parties in oil concessions in Arabia (ff 90-91);
  • correspondence regarding the prohibition on private planes flying to Bahrain and a request by the Standard Oil Company of California to use Bahrain as their base of operations during their survey of Hasa which was denied, and the eventual decision to allow Standard Oil's aeroplane to land at Bahrain should there be a serious medical emergency involving either their staff or those of the Mesopotamia-Persia corporation (ff 112, 131-133, 155-156, 173-175);
  • a record of an interview which Frederick Charles Starling of the Mines Department had with Edmund William Janson of the Eastern and General Syndicate Limited in which Eastern and General's interest in a possible concession in Asir was discussed along with their activities in regard to previous concessions (ff 147-149).

A series of file notes which were maintained as a record of the correspondence in the volume can be found at folios 179-187.

Extent and format
1 volume (213 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; these numbers are

written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 6-192; these numbers are also written in pencil, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence, but they are not circled.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'Confidential D 107 86/5-I Eastern and General Syndicate Ltd. - Saudi Arabia' [‎80r] (164/386), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/667, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025704695.0x0000a5> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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