Concessions in Bahrein [Bahrain], Kuwait, &c: correspondence, 1932-Jul 1933 (Colonial Office Secret Print, Middle East No.49) [‎77r] (155/284)

(4) The Company shall be free to construct, operate, and maintain in the Kuwait
territory and across same, roads, tramways, railroads, and other ways of communica
tion and telegraph and telephone lines and one or more pipelines for the purpose of
carrying oil, gas, and kindred substances (whether produced from the Kuwait terri
tory or elsewhere), also water and steam connecting The Company's oil fields and
works with each other and with the harbour or harbours which The Company may
establish or develop on the coast of Kuwait, and shall have the right to establish and
maintain one or more coaling or oil stations along the coast of Kuwait, the use of such
facilities being vested entirely in The Company. The Shaikh retains the right to grant
permission to others besides The Company to import oil and coal and lay pipelines for
these purposes.
(5) The Company shall be free and at liberty to export, sell, and dispose to any
place or people or country it may wish to and in any manner it may desire all the oil
and its products, won from the Conceded Territory and/or handled through its pipe
lines and harbour facilities, and The Shaikh and those acting under him shall not
interfere with the internal management of The Company, but The Shaikh shall have
the right to keep a general eye over the doings of The Company. And he shall have
the right to levy, and The Company undertake to pay him, a Custom Duty of (1 per cent.)
one per cent, on all the oil and its products, produced by it hereunder from the Kuwait
territory, which The Company may export. In calculating such one per cent. (1 per
cent.) on the oil exported, the value of the oil at the wells producing same shall be used.
(6) The Company shall have the right to import oil, machinery, equipment, plant,
timber, utensils, iron work, building materials, and everything belonging to or con
signed to it, including medicines and food supplies for the use of The Company and
its employees but not for resale to others, free of Customs or Import duty and taxes
or other charges, but it shall pay on all personal goods, clothing and general mer
chandize imported by The Company for the personal use of its employees, the ordinary
duty in vogue in the Kuwait territory computed on the value shown in original invoices
plus expenses.
(7) Saving as herein provided, The Company shall be exempt and free during the
period of this Concession, from all harbour duties, taxes, imposts, and charges of any
kind, tolls and land surface rent of whatever nature, it being understood that The
Company has no right to lease any building to any but its employees and agents. Should
ships other than those engaged and used solely for The Company's business hereunder,
either bringing or taking away, make use of the harbours. The Shaikh has the right
to collect the usual harbour dues and taxes from such ships and not from The Com
pany, it being understood that the wharves and appurtenances erected by The Company
are solely vested in The Company during the period of the Concession hereby granted
and can only, during such period, be used by ships on other than The Company's
business with the written permission of The Company.
(8) The ownership of this Concession may be transferred to, or the right sold to,
another company, and The Shaikh undertakes to sanction such transfer when so
requested, Provided always that the rights, privileges and interests accruing here
under to The Shaikh shall not thereby be lessened, and provided further ;
(a) That the assignee company shall be one organized and registered either
in Great Britain or organized and registered in Canada and shall maintain an office
in Great Britain which shall at all times be in charge of a British subject who shall
be the recognized channel of communication between the assignee company and
His British Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland.
{h) That of the five directors of the assignee company one director shall at
all times be a British subject who shall be persona grata to His British Majesty's
Government. His selection for appointment as director shall be made in con
sultation with His British Majesty's Government, and his salary as director shall
be provided by the assignee company. It is understood that a reasonable time
shall be allowed for the replacement of the British director in the event of this
post falling vacant.
(c) That the assignee company shall at all times maintain in the region of the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. an official to be called the " Chief Local Representative " of the
assignee company whose appointment shall be approved by His British Majesty's
Government in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and
who shall be the sole representative of the company empowered to deal direct
with the local authorities and population in Kuwait. All communication which
that official may desire on behalf of the assignee company to address to The
Shaikh of Kuwait shall be through the British 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. in Kuwait. For the