Skip to item: of 797
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

Coll 6/67(5) 'Boundaries of South Eastern Arabia and Qatar (Khor al Odeid)' [‎269r] (546/797)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 volume in 2 parts (391 folios). It was created in 15 Oct 1937-11 Aug 1939. 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. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

-2-
acuue phase of the Palestine problem the desirability of
reaching a settlement with Ibn Saud has become much greater,
and the question arises whether it would not be in the best
interests of His majesty’s Government to rnahe a relatively
small political sacrifice in order to secure that end. The
Purpose of this note is to examine the possibility of a
concession in regard to one of the two places in dispute -
the j-vlior—el—udeid — on the assumption that the frontier
question offers the best opportunity available to us of
making a positive contribution to Saudi interests and thus
of going some way towards securing the good-will of Ibn Saud
in other matters...
3. The origins of the present frontier question date
back to the years 1913-14, when the South Pastern boundaries
of the Ottoman Empire (which was regarded as including Hasa,
Nejd, the Hejaz, Asia and the Yemen) were laid down in two
conventions concluded between His I.Iajesty’s Government and
the Ottoman Government. The terms of these conventions were
not communicated to Ibn Saud at the time; but in 1914 he
himself concluded a Treaty formally recognising his depen
dence on the Ottoman Government, and there is little doubt
therefore that in principle his La jest y 1 s Government were
on strong ground when in 1934 they maintained thac as an
Ottoman Succession State Saudi Arabia was legally sound by
those conventions. On further examination o± Lie legal
position, however, it was discovered that a comideraole
portion of the territory to the East of the 1913-14 line was
under no effective
by tribes owing in
sovereignty, being mostly dosero inhaoiced
practice a vague allegiance to Ibn Saud

About this item

Content

This volume primarily concerns British policy regarding the eastern and south-eastern boundaries of Saudi Arabia, specifically those bordering Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Muscat (i.e. the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman). Much of the correspondence relates to British concerns that oil companies operating in the region may begin prospecting in disputed territory.

References are made to various existing and proposed lines, including the 'blue line' (laid down in the non-ratified Anglo-Ottoman Convention of 1913 and redefined and adopted in the Anglo-Ottoman convention of the following year). Reference is also made to a 'final offer' proposed by the British to the Saudi Government in November 1935, since which time no conclusion has been reached.

Matters discussed in the correspondence include:

  • The reported activity of the California Arabian Standard Oil Company (Casoc) near Qasr-es-Salwa [Salwá, Saudi Arabia] (located east of the blue line), and whether this activity necessitates a renewed effort by the British to reach a settlement with Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] regarding the Qatar-Saudi boundary.
  • Ibn Saud's claim to Jebel Nakhsh [Khashm an Nakhsh, Qatar], which lies in territory included in the Qatar oil concession.
  • Whether the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi should be persuaded to cede Khor-el-Odeid [Khawr al ‘Udayd] to Ibn Saud.
  • The impact of Britain's Palestine policy on Anglo-Saudi relations.
  • The Foreign Office's suggestion that the Khor-el-Odeid question should be submitted to arbitration.

In addition to correspondence dating from 1937-39, the volume contains copies of correspondence dating from April 1904 (including translations of two letters from the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi), which discusses Abu Dhabi's claim to Khor-el-Odeid.

Correspondents include the following: 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 Trenchard Craven William Fowle); 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. , Bahrain (Captain Tom Hickinbotham); His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Reader William Bullard); the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, Viscount Halifax); the Secretary of State for India and Burma (Lawrence John Lumley Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland); the Viceroy of India (Victor Alexander John Hope, Lord Linlithgow); the Minister for Saudi Foreign Affairs [Fayṣal bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd]; officials of the Foreign Office, 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 Government of India's External Affairs Department.

Also included are the following: copies of the minutes of meetings of the Committee of Imperial Defence's Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East, dated 8 November 1937 and 8 February 1938; a sketch map depicting the various possible boundary lines of south-eastern Saudi Arabia.

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 (folio 2).

Extent and format
1 volume in 2 parts (391 folios)
Arrangement

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

Physical characteristics

Foliation: this file consists of two physical volumes. The foliation sequence commences at the front cover of volume one (ff 1-188) and terminates at the inside back cover of volume two (ff 189-395); 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. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-394; these numbers are printed, and are not circled.

A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

Coll 6/67(5) 'Boundaries of South Eastern Arabia and Qatar (Khor al Odeid)' [‎269r] (546/797), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2138, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100066383066.0x000093> [accessed 29 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100066383066.0x000093">Coll 6/67(5) 'Boundaries of South Eastern Arabia and Qatar (Khor al Odeid)' [&lrm;269r] (546/797)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100066383066.0x000093">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x0002a4/IOR_L_PS_12_2138_0546.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x0002a4/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image