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Coll 30/159 'Ownership of Hawar Islands.' [‎19ar] (37/361)

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The record is made up of 1 file (179 folios). It was created in 29 Apr 1936-15 Oct 1942. 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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TELEPHONE: NATIONAL 3582
TELEGRAMS:
INLAND : PETCONCESS, RNSQUARE. LONDON
FOREIGN : PETCONCESS, LONDON
r
o
©
I?.
n
CODES:
BENTLEY’S SECOND PHRASE
BENTLEY’S COMPLETE PHRASE WITH OIL SUPPLEMENT
LOMBARD
FILE COPY
PETROLEUM CqiNfESSIONS LIMITED
‘1 OO '/EMERGENCY ADDRESS:
\ C- lL I king's head hotel,
I94CX J
I.M.G. (Chairman)
D.S.C. (French)
brmerly Armenian)
utch)
HORSHAM,
SUSSEX.
Telephone : Horsham 785/6.
26th February, 1940.
Dear Mr. Peel,
Referring to your official letter P.Z.6371 /39 of the 26th
October, 1939, I write to enquire whether any decision has yet
been reached as to the line of division between the territories
and the territorial waters of Bahrain and Qatar.
Information has reached us that the Bahrain Oil Co. has
recently carried out a seismographio survey of the reefs shown
as Katah and Juradeh and Fasht and Disbal on Admiralty chart -
Approaches to Bahrain,
These reefs, which are approximately midway between Bahrain
Island and Qatar, are submerged at high tide and dry out in
patches at low tidej other similar reefs exist in the Bahrain -
Qatar waters and, as far as I am aware no record exists as to
their ownership, although I admit Petroleum Concessions Ltd.
assumed that some of the reefs belonged to the State of Bahrain
and were therefore included in the area for which application
was made by Petroleum Concessions Ltd. for a concession from
that State. n
The successful results obtained from our well at Dukhan (Qatar)
render it highly desirable from Petroleum Concessions Ltd. point
of view that the delimitation of the boundary between territories
and territorial waters of the States of Bahrain and Qatar should
be finally fixed as early as possible in order that our programme
of exploration may be fully considered.
/Ift
V
% 7
(0
I shall, therefore, be grateful if I could be informed of
the present position of this matter.
Yours sincerely.
R.T. Peel, Esq.,
I n dia Office,
Whitehall, S.W.1.
FE; ^40 • •
ISEC*
27 FE
IN iiA OFFICE
/

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Content

The file concerns the disputed claims of the rulers of Bahrain and Qatar to sovereignty over the Hawar Islands. The issue arose afresh in 1936 in response to a request from Petroleum Concessions Limited to settle the issue of ownership, in order that the Company could claim oil concession rights over the island as part of the concession not previously allocated to the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) (the Bahrain Unallotted Area).

The papers contain statements of evidence on both sides, and correspondence discussing the question from 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 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; the Foreign Office; Petroleum Concessions Limited; the Government of Bahrain; and the two rulers concerned. The British Government decided in 1939, after examining the evidence, that the islands belonged to Bahrain (folio 44). The papers show that 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 Charles Geoffrey Prior, challenged the validity of this judgement in 1941, stating that the case had been decided 'according to western ideas, and no allowance has been made for local custom and sentiment' (folios 6-8). However, a subsequent letter on the subject from the Government of India 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. concluded that it was then too late to reverse the decision (folio 4).

The Arabic language content of the papers consists of approximately five folios; these include photographs of judgements (with translation, folios 57-58) submitted by the Government of Bahrain to the British Government, showing that the Bahrain Court had exercised jurisdiction in legal cases concerning residents of Hawar (folios 130-133).

The file also includes photographs of places in Hawar (folios 126-127).

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 file (179 folios)
Arrangement

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

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 181; 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. Two additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 3-179, and ff 48-88; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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Coll 30/159 'Ownership of Hawar Islands.' [‎19ar] (37/361), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3895, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100076666398.0x000028> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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