"ملف 10/1 الامتياز النفطي بالبحرين" [و‎‎٨‎٣] (٤٧٦/١٨٠)

The neutral zone had been created for political purposes
to constitute a kind of buffer, or vacuum, bet7/een Nejd and
Koweit. If we ?/ere to agree to this zone being exploited
by foreign cortinercial enterprises, much of the object of
creating the zone would be defeated. Might it not therefore
be possible for H.M.Government to make a declaration that,
on political grounds, they could not agree to any
concessions being granted in the neutral zone? This
declaration could be made to the Sheikh of Koweit who would
pass it on to any of the commercial interests concerned.
There was, however, one difficulty in connection
with this suggestion. It was still possible that the Anglo-
Persia.n Oil Company might acquire the Koweit concession and
wish to exploit the neutral zone themselves, and it seemed
undesirable to make any premature declaration regarding the
neutral zone, the effect of which might merely be to prevent
a British company from operating there. It was therefore
suggested that the Petroleum Department should take immediate
steps to ascertain whether the A.P.O.C. were in fact likely
to be interested in the neutral zone. If they were not, the
possibility of pursuing Mr .Rendel's suggestion could be
further considered.
Mr .Laithwaite said that he saw considerable advantages
in the proposed declaration which would assimilate our policy
in the neutral zone to our policy on the Trucial Coast,
where commercial exploitation was also excluded for political
reasons of a somewhat similar character.