Coll 6/67(4) 'Boundaries of South Eastern Arabia and Qatar.' [‎338r] (675/843)

28. This evoked a lively sally from the King who denied that Hasa had
'ever belonged to Bahrein though Bahrein might have belonged to Hasa. I
^replied that I was dealing only in examples.
29. The King asseverated that he and his brothers in religion, i.e., the
coastal rulers had not wanted frontiers between them. He emphasised his
friendship with them all and especially the Sheikh of Qatar, who would not be
where he was had not he, Ibn Sand, helped him against his relatives.
30. I said that modern conditions had made frontiers necessary. New
factors had arisen. How, for instance, had the present discussion started ? The
King had given an oil concession in Hasa. (The King interposed that it was not
he who had given it, but an English company, i.e., by letting the concession go
to the Americans. He was poor, he said, and must live somehow.) The United
States Government had then enquired what we considered to be the limits of
Saudi Arabia. We had given the only reply we could, and had informed the
Saudi Government of what had passed. I added that I did not wish to be
misunderstood. Oil was not the only factor. Other factors had made frontiers
necessary, e.cj., with Iraq and Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan . The point was that in modern
conditions frontiers must be drawn, if causes of quarrel were to be avoided.
31. The King recognised the necessity for frontiers. He made some obscure
reference in this connexion to the circumstances of the Great War.
32. All the King's statements were interspersed with assurances of friend
ship. Towards the end he became almost fatherly and begged me not to worry
overmuch as all would come right in time. I said that the King was in his own
country and I hoped he would live for many years. I was a stranger and should
be leaving next year. I should have liked to see this question settled before I
went, not to gratify my vanity, but because I should not wish to leave behind me
a possible cause of future strife. This sob-stuff elicited further amiabilities from
the King, but otherwise left him unmoved.
33. When Fuad called on the morning of the 27th to discuss other
business, I arranged to leave with him the map mentioned in paragraph 4 above,
after having a copy made of the lines drawn in it. I also asked him for further
information about the Araiq area (see paragraph 16 above). I attach a note
made by Captain de Gaury from the explanations given by Fuad Bey.
34. On the 28th November Fuad Bey engaged me in a long private conver
sation. Before passing to its principal subject, that of the relations of Saudi
Arabia with Great Britain and Italy, he begged me to make a further effort to
promote a settlement of the frontier question on a basis of compromise. He said,
quite personally and non-committally, that if we could give way over the Jebel
Nakhsh, he “ thought he could induce the King ” to give way over the Khor-al-
Odeid.
35. Most of this record was written as the conversations proceeded in
Riyadh, but I have corrected it somewhat and completed it in Jedda.
ANDREW RYAN.
Jedda, December 7. 1935.
Enclosure 3.
Descriftion of the Araiq Area given by Fuad Bey Hamza.
Araiq, literally The small veins,'' i.e., of Sand.
EAST of and within sight of Qasr Salwa are the water holes (Hissu) of
Mishabiya. Between Qasr Salwa and Mishabiya is the palm grove of
Umm-as-Samra, and this is surrounded by salty low-lying ground (Sabkha),
usually called Sabkhat-as-Salwa. further east again is a sandy plain dotted
with bushes called the Araiq. Its northern end reaches to near Jebel Nakhsh, and
its southern end terminates in the Salama dunes south-east of Sikak.
In the Araiq are many water holes, notably—
(1) Abu Ghath.
(2) Sai (i.e., in the courier road).
(3) Ud Abu Samra (the largest group).
(4) Jabanin.