'Historical Summary of Events in the Persian Gulf Shaikhdoms and the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, 1928-1953' [‎86r] (176/222)

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I/?) iSawt// Arabia
94. Before the period under review there was evidence of much interference
by the Governor of Hasa in the affairs of the Trucial States A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. and misgivings were
felt regarding Ibn Saud's intentions in the area( 88 ) but until 1949 nothing occurred
to justify these apart from the annual despatch by him of parties to collect taxes
on camels belonging to nomad tribes in the outlying parts of Abu Dhabi territory.
The Ruler of Abu Dhabi mentioned the visits of these parties in general terms
to 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 in 1934 but made no specific complaint until 1948
so that for many years they did not come to the notice of His Majesty's
Government. In 1948 and again early in 1949 their violations of Abu Dhabi
territory were brought to the notice of the Saudi Arabian Government but no
formal protest was made,as all or most of the nomads concerned were believed to
owe allegiance to Ibn Saud and it was not desired to re-open the boundary dispute.
In 1950 when the dispute had been reopened a formal protest was made.C') This
was met by a denial that there had been any trespass and a counter-protest against
Abu Dhabi's interference with the Manasir.
95. During the period 1934 to 1938 attempts were made to negotiate with
Ibn Saud the boundaries of his territory with the Trucial States A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. , Qatar and Muscat,
and it is possible that a satisfactory settlement might have been reachea on the
basis of the " Riyadh Line " which secured most of the requirements ot the Mates
for which His Majesty's Government were negotiating had it been possib e to
cede to him Jabal Nakhsh in the Qatar peninsula or the Khor al Odaid, which
had been officially recognised as long ago as 1878 as bem S vV / v 1l ?T k Maiestv's
territory and in respect of which a pledge had been given y^ J Y
Government in 1906 that they were willing to prevent its occ ^^
else but Abu Dhabi. The negotiations are described in detail m ™ e ^ an ^
prepared by the Foreign Office in 1940C'") and a 7 0 ™ ar f f t!^LTf h fSte
by the Foreign Office Research Department in 1949.( ) Aftei I ?38 the dispu
remained in abeyance until it was revived m 194SM )
96. Early in 1949 some survey parties of the
trespassed in the southern part of Qatar territory an ! n officer Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates.
In April one of these parties was encountered by the ^ 'f
near Sila, well inside what was regarded as ^ bu ^ abl . t d t0 detain
accompanied by a Saudi official and guards w o a t „ wr itt en request to
the Political Officer. The latter gave ^ f
withdraw with which ^ complied ^ ) caUed a halt t0 the Arabian
protested but stated that they naa lemp y f i f r ; eru iiY discussions
American Oil Company's at the
to settle the dispute.! ) His iviajesiy nroD osal and discussions started
violation of Abu Dhabi terr.tory, accepted ^th .s proposal ^
at Riyadh later m the year. It was r\ h ■ H nms (Appendix H). These
Government made a defimte stajcmen ^ , area of Abu Dhabi territory
included a slice of Qatar territory a ,. - f j^hor al Odaid as far east
with about 150 miles of coast line ex , i | hd t0 the sou th and east of the
as Mirfah. It was stated that as ,^? n S ^f t h th e British Government, the Saudi
area claimed were not in treaty rela f ron tiers in direct negotiation with them.
Arabian Government would agree t - - provide an accepable basis
A reply was sent that the fatemen d.d not seem to^p ^^t felt that they had
for further discussion, and that ^ and v i 0 i e t lines
no option but to take up their .P 0S "f ,013 an d 1914. The Saudi claims were
ot the Anglo-Turkish Conventions oi it ti „ the j r c | a i ms and suggesting
controverted in detail.C 5 ) The Sau n d / e ^f^ d d cussion followed and in May 1950
a " joint study." Further correspondence
n Paras. 9-15 at pp. 88 - 89 'P. 0 , 1 ^ 18 ^50 (EA 10325/8 a of 1950).
n Jedda to F.O. Despatch 72 of May 15, 1
f 90 ) CE 2203 12203125 of 1940.)
Odaid in 1935 is discussed in Foreign Ottice k
^ FO Despatch 30 of May 5
(") Td. from Jedda toF.O 1949 (E 14598/1081/25).
( 95 ) Jedda to F.O. Despatch 21 b or m, Y
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