Skip to item: of 550
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

Coll 5/16 ‘Air Route to India: Occasional landings at Koweit – Agreements between the Sheikh of Koweit and British Overseas Airways Corporation’ [‎76v] (153/550)

The record is made up of 1 file (272 folios). It was created in 5 Sep 1932-25 Oct 1948. 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. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

It was noted that if the present agreement wore allowed to lapse and control of
the airfield passed to some other agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , it might be difficult if not impossible
for the RuF to negotiate a Defence agreement for use of the present site.

, I:Ir. Hallows (C.R.Q. ) stated that the retention of civil aviation rights "
at Kuwait had a political and prestige value. The cessation of such^righta
might leave a dangerous vacuum. already enquiries had been i;ade by IT d\n
airways and Indian airways in the x^ossibility of ox)erating services to Kuwait.
After some discussion
6. It was agreed
Conclusion (iii) that while civil aviation interests alone were not such as to warrant a
renewal of the agreement, there appeared to be a sufficient case for its
renewal for reasons of prestige, political desirability, civil aviation
. and Royal ^ir Force insurance, combined, provided (a) that the Kuwait
Oil Company would continue to act as airport managers, and (b) that
there -was no additional commitment to beyond a sum of the order
of the £500 annual rental, now being paid. The incidence of cost as
between the Departments concerned would require separate consideration.
7. The meeting discussed the present arrangement whereby the Kuwait Oil
Company managed the airfield under a completely informal arrangement. It was
felt that this was unsatisfactory both from the point of view of the U.K. and
the Sheikh,
Llr. Hallows stated that the Oil Company was an ^nglc-Amorican concern
and that they maintained two aircraft at Kuwait at the present.
It was agreed
Conclusion(iv)
tv
that before any approach Was made to the Sheikh for a renewal of the
treaty the Kuwait Oil Company should be approached with a view to
ensuring that t hey would ba willing to continue the present
arrangement on a formal basis.
CM**
; b. * Ivlr. Hallows stated that he himself saw no objection to this approach
-V; <■- i-a that the matter should first bo discussed with Sir Rupert Hay who v/ould be
better acquainted with local conditions.
f(W
It was agreed
ItVT.. /
Conclusion(v) that the subject should first be discussed with Sir Rupert Hav,
^Action C.R. 0)
Conclusion!vi) that subject to (v) above a meeting should then be called to discuss
(action C.R.0.) the position with the Kuwait Oil Company#
5. The meeting discussed the obligations of H#M#G-. us signatory to the
Chicago Convention on behalf of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Sheikhdoms, including Kuwait.
It was felt that H.M.G. did not incur any responsibility for providing additional
facilities and that the position as regards responsibility would be the same
as for Masirah and Salalah.
10. The meeting took note of the fact that agreements on Bahrein and
Sharjah~and Dubai Wera . due to l apse i n 1^48 Mid that the renewal of there
agreements would require to be discussed separately#
Hanning Secretariat
2 3rd September'T^A?»
OIV. 13054

About this item

Content

The file contains correspondence regarding civil aviation matters in Kuwait (also spelt Koweit in the file). The primary focus is the negotiation of a Civil Air Agreement between the British Government and the Shaikh of Kuwait, Shaikh Sir Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah [Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ] in 1934, its subsequent renewal in 1938, 1945, and discussion related to its possible further renewal in 1948. Draft and final copies of each agreement can be found within the file; a 1934 copy contains both English and Arabic versions of the document (see folio 185-187). Correspondence related to occasional amendments has also been included.

Also discussed in the correspondence is the granting of permission for Imperial Airways (later the British Overseas Airways Corporation - BOAC) to land in Kuwait in September 1932 for a period of six months, and the establishment of an airmail service in 1948. It also contains some correspondence relating to British military requirements in Kuwait, and the transfer of the maintenance of the Kuwait Aerodrome from the Royal Air Force (RAF) to the Kuwait Oil Company.

The file also contains proposals from the Kuwait Oil Company for the construction of a new aerodrome in 1948, including two plans for the proposed airstrip (see folios 20-21).

In addition to the copy of the Kuwait Civil Air Agreement (1934), the file contains a limited amount of correspondence with both English and Arabic translation.

The main correspondents are as follows: 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. , and 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. The file also contains correspondence with the following departments of the British Government: the Air Ministry, the Foreign Office, 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. (the Commonwealth Relations Office from August 1947), and the Ministry for Civil Aviation.

The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (272 folios)
Arrangement

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

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 273; 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. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

Coll 5/16 ‘Air Route to India: Occasional landings at Koweit – Agreements between the Sheikh of Koweit and British Overseas Airways Corporation’ [‎76v] (153/550), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/1961, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100034196475.0x00009a> [accessed 28 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100034196475.0x00009a">Coll 5/16 ‘Air Route to India: Occasional landings at Koweit – Agreements between the Sheikh of Koweit and British Overseas Airways Corporation’ [&lrm;76v] (153/550)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100034196475.0x00009a">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x0001f3/IOR_L_PS_12_1961_0153.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x0001f3/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image