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Coll 30/21 'Persian Gulf: Koweit. Blockade by Ibn Saud. Koweit-Nejd Relations' [‎168v] (347/1142)

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The record is made up of 1 file (562 folios). It was created in 15 Mar 1932-13 May 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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observed that one of the main points to be borne in muni was ilie fact that Koweit
was not naturally independent from either the geographical or the economic point
of view. It was a port without a hinterland, cut off at present by the Iraqi and
Saudi frontiers from the territory which it would naturally feed, and at present
denied free communication with the country behind it. Moreover, even its present
trade might be jeopardised by the development of the Saudi port at Ras Tanura f
under the auspices of the American oil concessionaires on the Hasa coast. What
was even more important was that its fresh-water supply was not derived from
its own territory, but had to be imported from Iraq. It was for consideration,
therefore, whether it would, in fact, be practicable for His Majesty’s Government
to maintain the independence of Koweit as against its neighbours, at any rate on
the present basis of a rather loose and ill-defined dependence on His Majesty’s
Government.
Colonel Fowle concurred generally in Mr. Rendel’s description of the
economic position of the sheikhdom. He pointed out, however, that Koweit haa
always been the port of the deserts of northern Arabia, as Bahrein was the port
of Central Arabia. In regard to the position of Koweit vis-a-vis of Iraq, he added
that beside the influence which Iraq could exert by controlling Koweit’s fresh
water supply, it was also powerful enough to bring pressure to bear upon Koweit
over, for instance, the question of smuggling.
Mr. Rendel agreed that both Iraq and Saudi Arabia were in a position to
exert strong pressure on Koweit. This being so, the rivalry between them over
Koweit was likely to increase, unless, of course, Saudi Arabia disintegrated. The
present position of Koweit between these two States was weak, and
Sir Andrew Ryan’s note showed how powerful an attraction Ibn Saud could exert.
The question, therefore, was whether His Majesty’s Government would not be well
advised to develop and tighten up their own relations with Koweit in order to
strengthen its position. It had, in fact, been suggested that it might be more
advantageous to convert our present treaty relationship into a definite protectorate,
on, for instance, the analogy of the Hadramaut, which was now regarded as part
of the Aden Protectorate, but where our treaty relationship with the local rulers
and obligations to afford them protection had been if anything looser than those
we had towards Koweit. Would not a protectorate ensure Koweit more effectively
against absorption than the present attempt to maintain the sheikhdom as a kind
of political vacuum in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
Mr. Laithwaite drew attention to three points :—
(a) At present the obligations of His Majesty’s Government to Koweit were
represented by their undertaking to grant “ good offices ” in respect of
Koweit under the 1899 agreement, by their promise of 1907 that “the
town of Koweit and its boundaries belong to Sheikh Mobarak-us-Suba,
Ruler of Koweit, and to his heirs after him,” and their undertaking
of the 3rd November, 1914, that Koweit, in the event of a victory
over the Turks, would be recognised by us as an independent princi
pality under British protection. They were thus very general in
terms, and, in accordance with our normal policy on the Arab littoral,
which dated from a period in which it was possible to protect a sea
port by action from the sea, but not to afford effective help inland, we
had consistently endeavoured to limit our obligations, save as regards
“good offices ’ to Koweit town and the immediately adjoining area.
Recent experience had, however, shown that in cases of intervention
from outside it was in fact necessary to give the Sheikh, at our
discretion, and on our own terms, a measure of active assistance up
to the limit of his frontiers and with the development of aircraft the
problem of inland defence was now less difficult. This was to some
extent a strengthening of his strict treaty position, as also possibly
an extension of our strict treaty obligations.
(b) With regard to the suggested establishment of a protectorate, it was
necessary to consider what the reactions of the Sheikh would be, and
also what effect the proclamation of a protectorate might have on the
other Arab rulers of the Gulf. It would in any case be wiser not
to make an overt proclamation of this nature, since both in Bahrein
and in Qatar and along the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. it would probably rouse

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Content

This volume contains correspondence between British officials regarding a trade blockade that was imposed on Kuwait by the King of Saudi Arabia, Ibn Sa'ud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd]. In addition to this specific topic, the correspondence also contains lengthy discussions regarding Britain's relations with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait more broadly.

As well as internal correspondence between British officials (primarily Britain's Minister in Jeddah, officials at the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. in Kuwait, the Political 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. in Bushire, 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 the Foreign Office), the volume also contains translated copies of letters that were sent to British officials by Ibn Sa'ud, two of his close advisors (Yusuf Yassin and Fuad Hamza) and the Ruler of Kuwait, Shaikh Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah.

It also contains a number of extracts from Kuwait Intelligence Summaries produced by the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. in Kuwait and the following documents:

  • 'Draft Note of a meeting held at the Foreign Office on Monday, October 8th [1934], regarding the Claims of the Sheikh of Kuwait Against King Ibn Saud' (folios 109-110)
  • 'Final Record of Meeting on Matters affecting Kuwait' 8 June 1934 (folios 132-133)
  • 'Final Record of a Meeting held at the Foreign Office on October 5 [1933] to Discuss Relations Between His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the Sheikh of Koweit' (folios 148-154)
  • 'Ibn Saud's attitude towards Kowait' by Sir Andrew Ryan, 16 August 1933 (folios 202-206)
  • 'Note on the Contraband Problem of Iraq with Her Neighbours, and in Particular How it Affects Kuwait' by 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, Harold Richard Patrick Dickson, 29 May 1933 (folios 259-269)
  • 'Record of an Interdepartmental Meeting held at the Foreign Office on the 28th April, 1933, to consider the question of the blockade of Koweit by King Ibn Saud' (folios 292-295)
  • 'A Note on the present position of Trade between Iraq and Najd' (folios 420-421)
  • 'Notes on his Excellency Shaikh Ahmad's Trip to Riath [Riyadh]', 1932 (folios 487-496)
  • 'Draft Record of a Meeting Held at the Foreign Office on August 12th, 1931, to Consider Certain Questions Connected with Koweit' (folios 543-562).

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

Extent and format
1 file (562 folios)
Arrangement

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

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 562; 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. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

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English in Latin script
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Coll 30/21 'Persian Gulf: Koweit. Blockade by Ibn Saud. Koweit-Nejd Relations' [‎168v] (347/1142), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3732, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100050207067.0x000094> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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