Coll 6/67(3) 'Boundaries of South Eastern Arabia and Qatar.' [‎357v] (721/830)

territorial frontiers fluid, on the basis of the allocation of tribes only, had hitherto
failed, e.g., on the Saudi-Iraq frontier, and it had always proved necessary to
have a definite frontier establishing formal limits to territorial, as distinct from
personal, sovereignty.
Mr. RENDEL continued by explaining that Elis Majesty’s Government
fully realised, of course, that there was no question of attempting to establish
a sharply defined frontier in the ordinary European sense, with frontier posts
and a close frontier control. It was, however, necessary, as Sir A. Ryan had
explained, to set seme definite limit beyond which territorial sovereignty could
not be exercised, even if such territorial sovereignty were not, in fact, exercised
up to that limit. This would not prevent the tribes wandering freely from one
territory to another, and no doubt suitable arrangements could eventually be
made regarding their taxation, &c., as had been done in the case of the tribes
which migrated between Saudi Arabia, Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan , Syria, and Iraq. Arran De
ments could be made defining the allegiance of various tribes or sections of tribes.
But whatever was done about this, it seemed clear that a definition of the ultimate
iimits of territorial sovereignty must now be established
SIR ANDREW RYAN pointed out that although the line which His
Majesty’s Government had now offered the Saudi Government did not run very
far to the east of the Anglo-Turkish line, it did definitely take into account
existing^ facts, even though these facts might be at variance with what His
Majesty’s Government regarded as the technical legal position, since it conceded
to King Abdul Aziz sovereignty over Qasr-as-Salwa and the Akhwan settlements
which King Abdul Aziz had established to the east of the Anglo-Turkish frontier.
His Majesty’s Government were prepared to concede this, and other areas
permanently inhabited by Murra tribesmen of Saudi allegiance, but they could
not possibly concede the whole expanse of desert over which this tribe was
accustomed to range at various times of the year.
FUAD BEY suggested that in drawing the northern end of the proposed
tiontier m tne neighbourhood of the Qatar Peninsula, the political allegiance of
actual settlements and recognised districts should be adopted as a guiding
principle. He considered that King Abdul Aziz had an unassailable claim to an
area considerably to the east and north-east of the line proposed by His Majesty’s
Government m this sector. As regards the desert area to the south, the only
method of drawing the frontier, in his view, would be to take account of wells
an glazing areas known to be under the predominant control or ownership of
TG ^ • 6 mam ^ a i ned ma j 0I> ity of such wells and areas in South-
i'l ! f ^ 7eie definitely recognised as being the property of one particular
b ascertU fh h8y “U a S ° E USed by others ’ and that i£ would be possible
tribal Ileal 1 ownersbl P and to make use of this knowledge in defining the
the same 7™sid^bf,f d tha j P 3 Ma S est y’ s Government had been influenced by
that thl wril l AU ’ and lEf 11 was for this reason that they maintained
that the well of Banaiyan must belong to Abu Dhabi They were satisfied on the
StUa W-nintb AT AY 1 ! 6 daim ° f the ^eikh to UTwltwhlrTas
durino- the verv full HG 8 eri1 ° r ^ a sou h d one; and from what had passed
the winter he iw no bnn USS f°TT 8 fiy 16 ^ 0118 which had taken place during
on this point althono-h^tiA 18 M a jesty s Government modifying their attitude
south of it where snob non ^ ^ VGre to d ^ scuss further concessions to the
soum ot it, where such concessions might be easier to arrange.
views of His^MaiestvG 6 Go C ^ ear !^ e G^mdi Government could not accept the
exclusively to the Murra fribn^TT^ • a ^°V t ? a A ai ^ ai }’ which, he claimed, belonged
on this point but Mr RENDTti 6 . mv °hed the evidence of Mr. Bertram Thomas
showed that the Mlenf a u^ ° Ut that Mr ’ Bertram Thomas’s evidence
further quoted the fact that Mr Pbilb^b 8 T WaS most uncertaill r and
wards in this nefghrourhoofhi Philby had apparently been obliged to turn west-
reaching the limiE^of^h^^ea 1 over whi^ 1 ^^^^^!! 06 ^! ^ ^
sovereigntv On fbG Get t? j -rT 11 Abclul Aziz exercised effective
only been turned back ^tTdTtL Uad T ey J e ?P d that Mr - P bd by had in fact
BEY repeated his conation tW T, 7 hlS Gfi 16 to find “y water. FUAD
ana D' an could not be regarded as belonging