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'Confidential 86/7 - ix B.52. P.C.L. TRUCIAL COAST' [‎153r] (310/420)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (206 folios). It was created in 1 Jan 1938-13 Jan 1939. 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 Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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3.
agreements. Oil Companies are ? however,
essentially international; Petroleum
Concessions Ltd. itself is only partly
British, and the validity of the agreement
hetween His Majesty’s Government and the
Company that it shall not change its
nationality, seems doubtful* Further, it'is
always possible, by means of holding
Companies, etc., or simply by purchase of
shares, for transfer of effective control
to be made to some second country without
change in the nominal character of the
Company. There may well be circumstances
in the future in which, apart from some clear
external sanction, we -would have difficulty in
enforcing our agreement with the original
concessionnaire Company.
The Sheikhs’ sanction does provide a
clear right to His Majesty’s Government to
enforce its original agreement, whereas
without it it might prove, at the least,
legally and politically difficult to take
strong action against the ultimate controllers
of the original Company.
ii.nd, apart from such considerations, there
may always be found loopholes or legal
difficulties in the political agreements which
might make action even against a British
controlled company difficult, apart from a
clearly defined final sanction. The existence
of such a sanction, however, would in itself
make the Companies less inclined to prove
difficult or attempt evasion.
In view, however, of the agreement of your advisers in
the Gulf in favour of dispensing with the Sheikhs co
opera cion, we would, if the India.Office and other
interested Departments are satisfied that this is the test
course, not stand in the way of a new attempt, on this
basis, with Ras al Khaimah, and, if necessary, ,Vbu Dhabi.
\!q are not, however, in favour of releasing Debai and
Sharjah from their existing obligations.
Me agree with your view that, if we are to decide now
to drop the Sheikhs co-operation, it would not bo worth
while raising difficulty over an ,, Qnd6rsement ,, of the
commercial agreement.
I am sending copies of this letter to the Foreign
Office and Petroleum Department.
Yours sincerely,
(Sd.) p* h. Jones.

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Content

The volume comprises correspondence in English and Arabic 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 the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (Trenchard Craven Fowle, Hugh Weightman), 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 Bahrain (Hugh Weightman, John Baron Howes), the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Agent at Sharjah (Khan Sahib Saiyid ‘Abd al-Razzaq), 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. (John Charles Walton, John Percival Gibson, Roland Tennyson Peel), and Petroleum Concessions Limited (John Skliros, Frederick Lewisohn, Stephen Hemsley Longrigg, Basil Henry Lermitte, Ernest Vincent Packer) regarding negotiations for oil concessions with the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. Shaikh’s.

Petroleum Concessions Limited’s negotiations with Shaikh Sultan bin Salim [Sulṭān bin Sālim Āl Qasimī], Ruler of Ras al Khaimah [Ra’s al Khaymah] are discussed, in which an agreement was initially reached with the Shaikh, who requested to see the political agreement between His Majesty’s Government and Petroleum Concessions Limited prior to concluding a concession agreement with the Company. A copy of the political agreement can be found at folios 65-66. The negotiations ultimately concluded an exploration permit for the Shaikh’s territory; with an allowance within the permit to a subsequent agreement for drilling and exploitation should the results of the exploration be favourable.

Also included is correspondence regarding the Shaikh Sultan bin Saqr [Sulṭān bin Saqr Āl Qasimī], Ruler of Sharjah’s refusal to undertake the previously agreed exchange of letters, including his attempt to reword one of the letters, and potential measures that could be used to compel him to complete the exchange prior to his eventual agreement and formal completion of the Sharjah Concession Agreement. A printed copy of the concession agreement, political agreement and letters exchanged can be found at folios 92-101.Further correspondence relates to the question of the political agreement and whether the agreement of the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. Shaikh’s to such an agreement is necessary.

The correspondence concludes that the agreement does not require the Shaikh’s approval however as Dubai and Sharjah had both previously agreed to the political agreement and the Regent of Kalba was happy to agree to it as part of the concession it was not necessary to take any action on the matter at that time. Also discussed is the requirement for HMG Her or His Majesty’s Government in London. approval to the establishment of a bank as part of the agreement and whether this was necessary; and the movements of the Standard Oil Company of California and the likelihood that they were using their alleged interest in Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. Oil Concessions to improve their chances of obtaining a concession in the unallotted area in Bahrain.

Other matters discussed in the volume include:

  • attempts at re-opening negotiations with Shaikh Shakhbut bin Sultan [Shaikh Shakhbūt bin Sulṭān bin Zāyid Āl Nahyān], Ruler of Abu Dhabi, and the Shaikh’s insistence in writing that he was not bound by His Majesty’s Government approval and was free to negotiate with whomever he wished;
  • a conversation between 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. and Hamilton Ballantyne of the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) regarding representatives of the Shaikh of Bahrain (Shaikh Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah) having alluded to the Shaikh’s desire to grant a concession for the remaining unallotted area of his territory to BAPCO but fearing that he would lose control of the Hawar Islands if he did so;
  • Petroleum Concessions Limited’s interest in a negotiating concession for the territory of Kalba [Kalbā] with Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmad bin Sultan [Shaikh Khālid bin Aḥmad bin Sulṭān Āl Qasimī], Regent to Shaikh Hamad bin Said [Shaikh Ḥamad bin Sa‘īd Āl Qasimī] who was a minor. The correspondence discusses the actual extent of Kalba territory; Shaikh Khalid’s desire to create a combined Qawasim One of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates; also used to refer to a confederation of seafaring Arabs led by the Qāsimī tribe from Ras al Khaima. [Qawāsim] Shaikhdom with himself as ruler and his close relations with the Bani Chittab [Beni Qitab] tribe; and the concession agreement that was reached between the two parties;
  • printed summary issued by the Petroleum Department of His Majesty’s Government detailing petroleum developments in the Arabian Peninsula in relation to Petroleum Concessions Limited (folios 103-105, 127-129).

A series of file notes which were maintained as a record of the correspondence in the volume can be found at folios 196-203.

Extent and format
1 volume (206 folios)
Arrangement

The volume contains a table of contents on folio 4 comprising of subject headings and page references. 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 also present in parallel between ff 6-195 with a gap between f 40 and f 91; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled and are located in the same position as the main sequence.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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'Confidential 86/7 - ix B.52. P.C.L. TRUCIAL COAST' [‎153r] (310/420), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/679, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025806951.0x00006f> [accessed 24 April 2024]

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