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Coll 30/91(2) 'Koweit Oil Concession: Agreement between the Shaikh of Kuwait and the Kuwait Oil Coy.' [‎89r] (182/788)

The record is made up of 1 volume (390 folios). It was created in 19 Nov 1934-11 Oct 1935. 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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Minute Paper.
political Department. ^
r/
• f
fa*',
U'y
^Ofuhtc
We d ° not wi8h t0 en ter into any new commitmente
ir regard to Koweit, especially in regard to her internal
affaire, so far as we can avoid them. it seems
desirable, however, to strengthen if we can our formal
treaty position in regard to oil. The Sheikh's
present formal obligation is confined to the very
unsatisfactory letter of 27 Oct. 1913 on pages 264-5
of Aitchison's Treaties, vol.xi, 1929 edition.
.Ve might also proceed to the consideration of the
question ^which has already been mooted^of consolidating
in one general treaty (without addition to our substantive
commitments) the various undertakings (some of them of a
very informal character) taken from and given to the
Sheikh in the past. We might, with P.0. concurrence,
first consult the G. of I. and 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. on this question. We are already
committed by the pledge of 1914 to the protection of the
Koweit Principality and we control her external relations.
In view of the increasing political and strategic
importance of Koweit it is necessary to maintain this
position of external control^ and it may be desirable to
J 0yy~4s**sl*4/'
consolidate and tighten up the scattered and / informal
A
Instruments from which we derive this necessary control,
without, however, undertaking new responsibilities in
regard to the internal affairs of Koweit except as
regards oil#/ (fa** c^wo***^ ■
The last para, of the draft is important.
Until H.M.G. have found an effective means of implementing
their 1914 p&ige regarding the Sheikhas date gardens in
Iraq, it is clear that we are not in a strong position
to take him to task for any failure on his part to live
i
to the spirit of his obligations. The implementing
up
295 6 6000 7 34
of/

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Content

The file concerns the negotiations concerning the signing of the commercial agreement between the Shaikh of Koweit [Kuwait], Shaikh Ahmed al-Jabir as-Subah [Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ] and the Kuwait Oil Company in 1934. The Kuwait Oil Company was 50-50 owned by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) and the Gulf Oil Company of Pennsylvania. The Shaikh of Kuwait was precluded from signing an agreement without the permission of the His Majesty's Government ( HMG Her or His Majesty’s Government in London. ).

The file consists of minutes and correspondence from 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 other main correspondents are the Foreign Office; Traders Limited; the Kuwait Oil Company; 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. , Kuwait (Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Richard Patrick Dickson).

The file covers: negotiations over an oil concession between the Shaikh of Kuwait and Traders Limited; the involvement of Lord Lloyd [George Ambrose Lloyd, 1st Baron Lloyd]: in particular, Lloyd's contention that the concession should go to a wholly British-owned company, without any American involvement; enquiries into the composition of Traders Limited (e.g. folios 281-283, 273-276); company information about the concession supplied to 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. by Sir Henry Strakosch, including Strakosch's view that Traders Limited were not likely to prove as desirable a concessionaire as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and the Gulf Oil Company of Pennsylvania (folios 197-207); 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. approval of the awarding of the concession to the Kuwait Oil Company, and correspondence with both companies; correspondence between British Government officials and the Shaikh of Kuwait, expressing the British Government's disapproval of the Shaikh's dealings with Traders Limited (especially folios 137-154); the signing of the commercial agreement on 23 December 1934; minutes of discussions at 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. between British Government officials and representatives of the Kuwait Oil Company, and Traders Limited; copies of the political and commercial agreements (folios 111-118); the suspicions of 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. , Kuwait that the Anglo-Persian Oil Company were the 'hidden hand' behind Traders Limited (folios 62-69); copy of the Kuwait oil concession document supplied to 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. by the Kuwait Oil Company, including two maps (folios 57-58) that accompanied the concession, with related correspondence (folios 38-58); discussion of what the British Government's attitude to the Shaikh of Kuwait should be in future, in view of the Shaikh's 'disregard' of his treaty obligations toward the British (e.g. folio 23); and the threat of legal action by Traders Limited against the decision to award the concession to the Kuwait Oil Company (folios 14-17).

The file also contains one document of a slightly earlier date than the stated date range: a copy of the political agreement between the British Government and the Kuwait Oil Company dated 5 March 1934 (folios 324-325).

The Arabic language content of the file consists of Arabic equivalents of place names in English on the map of Kuwait on folio 58.

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 volume (390 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 for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 392; 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
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Coll 30/91(2) 'Koweit Oil Concession: Agreement between the Shaikh of Kuwait and the Kuwait Oil Coy.' [‎89r] (182/788), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3812, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100056562823.0x0000b7> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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