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Coll 30/87(2) Part I 'Qatar: Oil Concession.' [‎374r] (766/1310)

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The record is made up of 4 volumes (639 folios). It was created in 14 Jan 1935-8 Nov 1944. 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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which their owners decline to sell or to rent; and excepting these, it does not
matter to use (other lands) if occasion arose. And the Company shall inform
the Sheikh from time to time of the lands, houses and buildings which it requires
to occupy for its enterprise. And the lands, houses and buildings already
acquired by the Company and found by it to be unnecessary for it any longer for
its business shall be restored by the Company to the Sheikh free. Provided that
all the lands, houses and buildings which have been acquired by the Company
shall be handed over to the Sheikh free on the termination or prior to that, on
the cancellation, free.
Article 8.
The Company may take any quantity of water which it may require for its
operations, free of charge, on the condition that this will not cause any loss or
damage to any of the inhabitants. And subject to the same conditions as have
been specified, the Company can explore, drill and impound water to satisfy the
requirements of its operations.
In case of need, the Sheikh’s army or military expeditions can take, free of
charge, any quantity of water available under the Company’s control after its
requirements are satisfied; and, likewise, the inhabitants can take such surplus
water for themselves and their animals, free of charge.
Article 9.
The Company can take any earth, mud, gravels, lime, gypsum and stones and
nther similar substances which it requires for its operations, free of charge, but
it will not prevent the people from taking their customary requirements of these
materials. The Company, however, must only take what it requires, and shall
have no right to export any of these (materials) abroad.
Article 10.
In consideration of the sums agreed upon in article 4, the Company shall
have the right to import water, petroleum, fuel, machinery, motor cars, lorries,
aeroplanes, equipments, instruments, wood, utensils, iron ware, building-
materials, medicines, office equipments, household furniture, and all other things,
equipments and goods required by the Company or by its employees for its
operations, but not for sale to others; and it shall have the right to export its
substances and their derivatives and things already imported by the Company
without customs duty or import duty or export duty or tax or any other duty.
The Company shall, however, pay the ordinary duty applicable to British
merchants in the State of Qatar on all the personal effects, piece-goods, general
merchandise and provisions which it imports for the personal use of its employees.
And the Company and its operations, incomes, profits and properties shall be
exempt and free, during the period of this agreement, from all the present and
future taxes of any kind whatsoever.
Article 11.
The Sheikh agrees that he will afford the necessary assistance to carry out
his agreement, and that he will use his authority to protect the Company s
mnlovees and property as far as possible. But the Company shall also itself
ake the necessary steps in this respect, namely, that the Sheikh or his represen-
ative will appoint armed guards of his own choice and the Company shall pa}
he expenses f and the guards should be sufficient in number and equipment. And
either does the Sheikh guarantee to the Company what may be caused }
nforeseen circumstances, nor will he be responsible theretor. Tor instance
hould, God forbid, an attack be made by an enemy, or any accident occur
pite of him through any aggressor, the Sheikh shall, m case of such aggression,
sefhis endeavour to ward off an aggressor of this nature; but he shall not be
esponsible for any loss or damage thereby caused.
Article 12.
The Oomoanv has the right to transfer this agreement to any other
ommercia? company; but it shafl have no right to transfer xt to any Government
[12473]

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Content

The file concerns the signing of the agreement between the British Government, the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) (later the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company), and the Shaikh of Qatar, Abdullah bin Qasim al Thani [‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī] to award the company an exclusive oil concession in Qatar (also spelled Qatr and Katr). The file also concerns preliminary oil explorations in Qatar, and the subsequent suspension of operations on the orders of the British Government.

The papers cover: discussion, drafts and text of the commercial agreement between the Shaikh of Qatar and APOC (signed 17 May 1935); discussion, draft and text of the political agreement between HM Government and APOC (signed 5 June 1935); the use by the Shaikh of modern, Egyptian Arabic to make comments on the draft (folios 624-625); British support for the proposal that disputes between foreign employees of the company and inhabitants of Qatar should not be submitted to the Shara [Sharia] courts (folio 604); intelligence on the activities of the Standard Oil Company [California-Arabia Standard Oil Company] (e.g. folio 443); British emphasis that military protection would be afforded to the Shaikh of Qatar on condition that he awarded the oil concession to APOC, and the assumption by Britain of responsibility for the protection of Qatar (e.g. folios 400-403); the transfer of the concession from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company to Petroleum Development (Qatar) Limited (e.g. folios 335-357); the payment of salaries to the Shaikh's representatives (e.g. folios 294-295); water drilling operations by the company (e.g. folios 237-241); references to Qatar's disputed border with Saudi Arabia; reports of preliminary drilling results and first discoveries of oil (1939-41); employment of foreign personnel by Petroleum Concessions Limited in Qatar (folios 180-182); the suspension of drilling operations on the orders of HM Government in 1942 as a result of war conditions, including correspondence on the subject between British officials and the Shaikh of Qatar, 1942-43; note that the suspension had been ordered because the British military authorities were unable to spare sufficient personnel to ensure the destruction of the oil wells, should the military situation demand it (folio 41); correspondence dated 1944 concerning a proposed increase in world oil refining capacity; and further correspondence dated 1944 concerning the boundary between Qatar and Bahrain at Hawar Island.

The main correspondents are senior officials at 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. , representatives of the oil companies concerned, 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 Arabic language content of the file consists of approximately 30 folios of correspondence, largely between British officials and the Ruler of Qatar.

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
4 volumes (639 folios)
Arrangement

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

Physical characteristics

Foliation: this file consists of four physical volumes. The foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover of volume one (ff 1-161) and terminates at the inside back cover of volume four (ff 486-647); 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. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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Coll 30/87(2) Part I 'Qatar: Oil Concession.' [‎374r] (766/1310), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3806A, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100047810667.0x0000a7> [accessed 30 March 2025]

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