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Coll 30/83 'QATAR OIL CONCESSION, POLICY AND PROTECTION.' [‎286r] (582/1018)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (505 folios). It was created in 29 Dec 1933-12 Jul 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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Government could apply against Ibn Saud would deter
nim from openly launching a large scale attack on
Qatar, It is probable that it is against this
contingency that the Sheikh of Qatar would most value
an undertaking on our part, and the Council consider
that in normal circumstances it should be possible to
implement a guarantee to this effect.
(ii) Given an adequate air intelligence organisation, it is
probable that sufficient warning of anything in the
nature oi^a large scale tribal invasion would be
received in time to permit of British Uaval and Air
forces being moved up to take action to disperse it
and to strengthen the local defence.
(iii) It would not be practicable to prevent raids on a
smaller scale by highly mobile raiding parties which
might number a few hundreds,
7, fhe Council consider that any guarantee given should
be subject to the following safeguards
(i) Unprovok ed Aggression .
It must be made clear that His Majesty's Government
could not permit themselves to be drawn into inter
vention owing to lack of proper control by the
Sheikh over his own tribesmen or by the adoption of
* provocative action on his own part on the pre
sumption of support from His Majesty's Government,
He must be prepared to follow the advice of His
Majesty's Government in his attitude towards his
neighbours,
(ii) Local Protection .
For defence against minor raids the Sheikh should
provide the necessary local defence forces and
forts or other works necessary himself. It may be
presumed, hov/ever > that he already does thip in his
own interests in the normal course. Care, however,
will be necessary to r ensure that as a result of
receiving any promise of support from ourselves he
does not relax t^hese protective measures.
( iii } B oundaries .
The Council understand that the boundaries of Qatar
are not as yet defined and consider that it will be
important to define the boundaries to which the
assurance of protection is in fact to apply.
(iv) Means of implementing the commitment .
From the air standpoint it is essential (a) that
aircraft should be free to fly over Qatar in order
that pilots may be familiar with the country; and
(b) that when it is necessary to take air action
the aircraft shall be free to attack those objectives
most likely to give the required results and shall
not be confined within the boundaries of the Sheikh's
territory.
In order to enable the Royal Air Force to take their
8

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Content

The volume concerns British Government policy towards Qatar in the light of the bid by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) to obtain a concession from the Shaikh of Qatar (Abdullah bin Qasim al Thani [‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī]) to produce oil in the country. The British Government were keen that the concession should be obtained by a British company (APOC) and not by the Americans (Standard Oil Company of California). The oil concession was granted to APOC in 1935.

The papers include: discussion of policy by various British Government departments and officials (notably 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. , Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Trenchard Craven William Fowle; the Government of India, Foreign and Political Department; and the Foreign Office); the security of Qatar against raids from the Arabian interior; relations between Qatar and Ibn Saud [Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd, King of Saudi Arabia]; the decision of the British Government to offer military protection to Qatar in exchange for the granting of the oil concession to APOC (including discussions by the Committee of Imperial Defence, and its Standing Official Sub-committee for Questions concerning the Middle East); the development of air facilities in Qatar as a means of protecting the state, including correspondence from the Air Ministry; discussion of the Qatar boundary; note of a conversation between 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 Haji Williamson (folios 147-148); the surrender to the British Government of jurisdiction over British subjects, British-protected persons, and non-Muslim foreigners in Qatar; the recognition of Shaikh Hamad as successor to the Shaikh of Qatar; British opposition to a request by the Shaikh of Qatar for machine guns and armoured cars, because of the provocative effect this would have on Ibn Saud (folios 33-35); agreement that the 1916 treaty between the British Government and the Shaikh of Qatar should be binding on his heirs and successors; and the terms on which military protection was to be afforded by the British Government (folios 12-14).

The papers also include correspondence between the Shaikh of Qatar 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. .

The papers include one item of an earlier date than the main date range: a copy of the 1916 treaty between the British Government and the Shaikh of Qatar (folios 451-452).

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 (505 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 first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 501; 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 two 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 30/83 'QATAR OIL CONCESSION, POLICY AND PROTECTION.' [‎286r] (582/1018), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3800, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100057526958.0x0000b7> [accessed 23 April 2024]

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