Coll 30/9(2) 'Admin. Reports of the Persian Gulf - 1945 -' [‎529v] (1058/1148)

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> 19. Visits of Arab Notables. — {i) On the 4th April, General Sir Nuri as Said,
Iraqi Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Shaikh Hafiz Wahba, the Saudi Arabian
Minister in London, passed through Bahrain in a Royal Air Force plane on their
way to Ibn Saud s camp. The party was met by 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. , the Senior
Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Shaikh Abdullah, Shaikh Salman and the Adviser
to the Bahrain Government and lunched at Shaikh Abdullah’s house near the
aerodrome. His Highness the Shaikh was indisposed that day. They again
passed through Bahrain on the 7th April on their way back to Iraq, their mission
having been a great success.
(u) His Royal Highness the Amir Saud arrived here from A1 Khobar en route
to India on the evening of the 19th April with some of his younger brothers. He
was received privately at the Customs pier by His Highness and his Family. The
Amir Saud was as charming as ever and expressed his and Ibn Saud’s gratitude
for the arrangements made by the Government of India. He referred also to thnr
strong sympathy for the Allied Cause.
(Hi) Shaikh Rashid bin Humaid, Ruler of Ajman, arrived here on the 5th May "Wial
on a friendly visit to the Shaikh of Bahrain. He returned to Aiman on the 20 th eo '^ lr
May.
(iv) His Royal Highness the Amir Saud arrived here from India by special
plane on the evening of the 8 th June, very much improved in health. He was
received at the aerodrome by Shaikhs Abdullah and Salman, the Adviser to the
Bahrain Government and the Assistant 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. , 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. being
absent from Bahrain. His Highness the Shaikh met the Amir at the end of the
causeway and took him to the Palace. On the evening of the 9th June the Amir
was entertained by the Bahrain Petroleum Company.
He left Bahrain for A1 Khobar by launch on the 10 th. While he was here
he expressed his gratitude for the assistance given to him by the Government of
India.
20. Qatar.- — (i) The Petroleum Concessions (Qatar) Limited had their first
small show of oil in their test well near Zekrit towards the end of 1939. In 1940, Co ^
a further test was made by them and the results were most satisfactory.
(ii) It is reported that a squabble occurred on the 30th May between minor
members of the Qasim and Ahmad sections of the Qatar Shaikhly family. Shaikh
Hamad, the heir-apparent, tried to turn this into a major issue and demanded
that the Ahmad party should either be disarmed or deported. The Shaikh of
Qatar held a meeting at which there was a good deal of excitement but it seems
probable that the whole matter has been settled without recourse to drastic
action.
Shaikh Hamad’s attitude was probably influenced by difficulties following
the distribution (or more likely the non-distribution) of the oil money which was
paid by the Company on the 17th May.
(Hi) Shaikh Abdullah bin Qasim A1 Thani, C.I.E., Ruler of Qatar, left for the
Haj with his heir-apparent Shaikh Hamad and some seventy members of his
family. His eldest son Shaikh Aii was in charge during his absence.
21. Petroleum Concessions Limited, (i) Qatar Exploration, (a) Wells and
Drilling. —No. 1 Well was completed to its final depth of 5,685 feet at the end of
1939 at which point a promising oil “ showing ” was struck, A test was carried
out in January 1940.
During the year 1940 a certain amount of oil from this well was used on road
construction and maintenance essential to the Company’s further exploration
programme.
No. 2 W T ell, 10 miles South of No. 1 , was commenced on the 18th June and by
the end of December 1940 had reached a depth of 4,798 feet and correlates fairly
closely to No. 1 . This test-well will be carried on as deep as the rig and circum
stances permit.