"ملف رقم 10/3 III امتياز نفط قطر" [و‎‎١‎٠‎٢] (٤٧٠/٢٢٠)

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apparently r6C0idecl m \\iitirig by the two parties or officially coDfirmed. Such, a
line would, of course, be quite inconsistent with the maintenance of the'blue line.
It would equally give a very substantial extension to the boundaries of Qatar an
extension of ranch more practical importance now than in 1922, when there was no
question of active exploitation of the hinterland, and our concern was chiefly to
.naintain the independence of the sheikhdoms of the Arab littoral against Ibn Sand.
The statement is, no doubt, an alternative version of Sir P. Cox's warning to Ibn Sand
as to the eastern boundary of any concession to be granted by him in respect of Hasa
discussed in the preceding paragraph, of which an authoritative record based on
personal knowledge is given in Colonel Dickson's letter of 4th July 1933, No. 143.
I.P.C. Map of February-March 1933.
8. The map compiled by the I.P.C. geologists during their survey in Qatar in
February -March 1933 marks a southern boundary line starting on the sea-coast
immediately south of Jabul-el-Naksh about 10 miles north of Salwa town and
12 miles north of the head of Dohat-as-Salwa Bay, turning abruptly to the south-
sduth-east immediately south-east of Jabul-el-Naksh for a distance of some 12 miles
to Qalat-ali-Bin-Said, and thence running due east, leaving Tuair-al-Hamir on its
left, through the Wadi-al-Ghurban to the sea, which it apparently reaches at a point
some 8 miles north of the outlet of the Khor-al-Odeid inlet and not very far into the
Niqayan Sandhills.
The A.P.O.C., in communicating a copy of this map, remarked : " The dotted line
boundary to the south of Qatar is apparently the Sheikh's version of the line. The
I.P.C. report, however, is not definite about this."
The A.P.O.C. have since reported that, according to one member (Haji A. F.
Williamson) of the geological party which visited Qatar in February and March
1933, the southern boundary shown on their map was indicated by the Sheikh
himself. If the line in fact represents his view, the boundary, as will be seen, will
correspond very closely to the pre-war line recorded by Lorimer.
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P.Z. 456/34.
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Conclusions as to the Southern Boundary of Qatar.
9: It is suggested, in the light of the evidence collected above —
(а) that the south-eastern boundary of Qatar must lie to the north of the
Khor-al-Odeid and the district of Aqal;
(б) that while His Majesty's Government had at no stage formally recognised
any specific southern boundary to Qatar (save to the extent referred to in
(a)), such evidence as is available goes to show that the pre-war
boundary ran roughly south-east across the base of the Peninsula, from
Dohat-as-Salwa, or a point slightly north of it, to a point north of the
Khor-al-Odeid. There is no recorded evidence of any more extensive
claims by the Sheikh of Qatar other than those to Abu Dhabi temtory
referred to in paragraph 2 above ;
(c) in the light of the above, that, if it proves that the Sheikh of Qatar now
regards the line shown on the I.P.O. map as Ins southern boundary,
this may be accepted by His Majesty s Oovernment as geneially
satisfactory. Acceptance of that line, if we continue to regard the blue
line of the 1913 Convention as the eastern boundary of Ibn Sand's
territories (or even if we were to agree to the attubution of the Barr-al
Qarah district lying east of the blue line to Hasa (see paragraph 18
below)) will admittedly leave an area of undetermined ownership between
Qatar and Neid. The problems involved in this are discussed in greater
detail in paragraphs 10 and following. If, however. His Majesty s
Government are prepared to face them, the boundary in question has the
merits that it is consistent with the obligations we have undertaken to
Abu Dhabi; it is equally consistent with the maintenance ot the blue
line of the i913 Convention as against Ibn Saud (or with such a moditi-
cation of that line as is referred to in paragraph 19 (c) (i) below; and it
has the advantage of definitely limiting the area of any commitments in
respect of protection, &c., into which His Majesty s Government may think
st desirable to enter in the event of an oil concession being granted by the
Sheikh.
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