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‘File 61/31 IV (D 120) Anglo-Saudi frontier negotiations’ [137v] (287/512)
The record is made up of 1 volume (255 folios). It was created in 30 Sep 1935-24 Mar 1936. It was written in English. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
situatioi} has now been made by the British authorities in the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
in
order to ascertain the precise limits of the territory of the Sheikhdom of
Abu Dhabi in the hinterland of the coastal strip. As a result it has been
established that the district known as A1 Aqal, the Sabkhat Matti salt marshes,
and the districts shown on the maps as Bainunah, Dhafrah and Qufat-al-Liwa’
all of which lie outside the area predominantly covered by the Ahl Murra tribe’
are within the historic possessions of the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi. His Majesty’s
Government are accordingly unable to agree to the eastward prolongation of the
proposed boundary being carried as near to the sea coast as suggested in the
Saudi memorandum of the 3rd April, since this would, in their opinion, be
incompatible with their obligation to protect the rights of the Sheikh of
Abu Dhabi. Similarly, they can find no justification for the extension of the
claims of King Abdul’ Aziz as far east as meridian 56°, since this would result
in the inclusion in Saudi territory of the steppe country beyond the Great Sands,
and of the grazing grounds of tribes owing allegiance either to the Sheikh of
Abu Dhabi or to the Sultan of Muscat.
12. You will then inform King Abdul Aziz that the tribal position on the
southern fringe of the Ruba-al-Khali desert and in the northern part of the
Hadhramaut has also been the subject of detailed reinvestigation since the state
ment of his boundary claim was received last April. As a result His Majesty’s
Government are satisfied that the tribes depending on the Aden Protectorate—and
in particular the A1 Saiar, A1 Manahil, Ahl Kathir and Ahl Mahra—normally
range not only to the edge of the Great Sands between parallels 17° and 19°
North, but for some little distance into the sands themselves. You should explain
that His Majesty’s Government were informed by Fuad Bey Hamza, during the
course of the conversations in London last summer, that King Abdul Aziz did not
claim the allegiance of these tribes, and their enquiries have now definitely shown
that the southern and south-eastern limits of the district predominantly
frequented by the Ahl Murra (which they understand to form the basis of the
Saudi claims in this area) do not extend to the edge of the sands, but lie a
considerable distance to the north and north-west of the line claimed in the Saudi
memorandum of the 3rd April.
13. You should then proceed formally to put forward the new offer which
His Majesty’s Government, in the light of the foregoing considerations, have now
resolved to make, emphasising once more that it is made with every desire to meet
the wishes of King Abdul Aziz to the furthest possible extent, but adding in no.
ambiguous terms that it represents a final concession which His Majesty's
Government will not he able to increase. I trust that you will thus dispel as far
as possible any impression in the King’s mind that, in now putting forward
proposals much more favourable to him than the two territorial concessions
already offered, His Majesty’s Government would be likely to yield still further
m response to continued bargaining on his part. As you are aware, this is a
n°
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.
attach much importance. You should explain
that the new boundary which you are about to offer has been carefully worked
out and that, while the ^ geographical, historical and political considerations
mentioned m the preceding paragraphs have naturally been taken into full
consideratioiy the new proposals also take account of the full and detailed infor
mation which His Majesty s Government have now received from their local
authorities m Arabia regarding the wanderings and habitats of the Ahl Murra
n e. in the light of this information His Majesty’s Government are prepared
fn a f ITw 1 / P rmci P le t0 recognise King Abdul Aziz’s claim to the allegiance of
e Murra tribe, and they have endeavoured to align their proposed boundary
/?< I- 8 a ? far as P oss . ible within Saudi Arabia the grazing grounds
of this tribe C USne ,V 0r P re( ^ 0In i nan fly utilised by the various nomadic sections
f a/t^ S ^ • re ^, ware ’ f be
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.
at Koweit has recently reported
that the Murra dira appears to be bounded on the north, east and south by a line
i unning from a point south of Hofuf parallel to but inland from the neck of
the Da tar Peninsula, continuing m a south-easterly direction along the southern
r-ornpr nf th • marS ^’• turn i n g south-south-east at the south-eastern
nJ u Sabkhat ^ attl ; runnmg thence straight across the Eastern Rub'-al-
- 4 o< v 8 f l r aS Ml .]ora (approximately at the intersection of meridian
i- -x n r> Pp ra e A j^-)’ an d thence sweeping westwards, within the southern
rea ^ands, so as just to include the important group of wells at
About this item
- Content
The volume’s contents relate to ongoing negotiations between the British and Saudi Governments over the formal establishment of Saudi Arabia’s southern and eastern borders. The volume, which is a continuation of correspondence found in IOR/R/15/1/605, focuses on land which is covered by the Qatar Oil Concession, and is disputed by King ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd (Ibn Sa‘ūd) of Saudi Arabia and Shaikh ‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī of Qatar. The volume’s principal correspondents are Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Fowle, 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. , Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Gordon Loch, 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. in Bahrain, and Andrew Ryan, British Minister at Jeddah.
Contents of the volume include:
- Correspondence relating to the arrangements and outcome of a Royal Air Force (RAF) aerial reconnaissance survey, conducted in October 1935, over Qatar’s projected southern boundaries;
- A map showing the reconnaissance route (folio 74B), a number of aerial photographs (folios 75-81), and a report of the reconnaissance (folios 72-73) are included in the volume;
- The Saudi Government’s response to the signing of an oil concession between the Shaikh ‘Abdullāh and the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company;
- British objections to direct communication between Ibn Sa‘ūd and Shaikh ‘Abdullāh, with the assertion that such communication contravenes treaties signed with the British Government; discussion over the extent of Abu Dhabi’s territory, including a telegrammed report, written by Loch, dated 4 November 1935, of a conversation with Shaikh Shakbut bin Sultan of Abu Dhabi over his territories (folios 92-94);
- An RAF sketch map of the Qatar Peninsula (folio 146);
- A report of a conversation in January 1936 between Loch and Shaikh ‘Abdullāh concerning Qatar’s southern boundaries, with a sketch map included (folios 190-95);
- Suggestions of an earlier agreement between Qatar and the Saudi Kingdom predating Britain’s 1916 treaty with Qatar.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (255 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest items at the front of the volume to the latest at the end. There is a set of office notes at the end of the volume (folios 235-44) that mirror the chronological arrangement. An index at the front of the volume (folio 2) lists key topics covered, with a folio number which refers to the original uncircled pencil foliation system used throughout the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: There are two incomplete foliation sequences and one complete foliation sequence. The complete sequence is circled in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio. It begins on the first folio after the front cover, on number 1A, and ends on the last folio of writing, which is f 245. The following foliation anomalies occur: ff 1A-D; ff 74A-B.
Other characteristics: The volume contains a number of photographs (folios 75-81) which are housed in transparent polyester sleeves.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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‘File 61/31 IV (D 120) Anglo-Saudi frontier negotiations’ [137v] (287/512), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/606, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100050152384.0x000058> [accessed 6 April 2025]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/1/606
- Title
- ‘File 61/31 IV (D 120) Anglo-Saudi frontier negotiations’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 1br:1dv, 2r:26v, 29r:73v, 74ar:74av, 82r:132v, 135v:145v, 147r:151v, 157r:157v, 158v:171v, 173r:194v, 196r:249v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence