Coll 30/87(2) Part II 'Qatar: Oil Concession - P.C.L.'s Operations.' [‎194r] (390/603)

f, In the year 1936 the Bahrain Government
built beacons on the Fasht-al-Beebal. one
of the beacons was built on the rock at the
north end of the fasht which is above water.
His late Highness Shaikh Hamad and the pre
sent Ruler have always regarded this fasht
as being owned by Bahrain, The anchorage
there is used exclusively by Bahrain boatmen
and fishermen and the fasht is one of those
which are considered to belong to Bahrain*'.
and secondly, what is described as a chief
claim,
^the chief claim that Bahrain has to the
shoals and islands lying between Bahrain and.
Qatar is based upon the fact that at one time
Qatar belonged to the ihaikhs of Bahrain who
subsequently became possessed of Bahrain and,
- therefore, acquired the shoals and islands
lying between the two shores. At a later date
the grandfather of the present Jhaikh of Qatar
became the Ruler of Qatar but did not at any
time assert his authority over the Islands
between Qatar ana Bahrain ? .
the above two statements are made by the
Adviser and the following extract is what might be
termed the official claim contained in the Adviser's
letter Mo*2223-9A of the 20th October, 1946s
!, Fashts Beebel and Jar ad eh lie within the
area which was subject to negotiations between
the Bahrain Government and petroleum Concessions
L&d., and Bahrain petroleum company Limited in
the year 1938 whan both these companies were
, competing for an oil concession over the addi
tional area, not included in the area granted
by the original concession. During all these
negotiations 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, was
present, also His Highness Chaikh culman, myself
and usually cfaaikh Abdulla bin Isa. The petroleum
Concessions Limited produced a map, an enlargement
of one made by the Land Department, on which the
Company marked in red ink th© area over which they
sought a concession, it is possible that you have
a copy of this map in your files, but in case this
is not so i mm forwarding my own copy, which please
return. During all the talks on the subject no
question was ever raised which would throw any
doubt on Bahrain's ownership to this group of
shoals and islands and when eventually the con
cession was granted to the Bahrain petroleum company
Limited, the boundaries of the concession area,
lying between Bahrain and Qatar included the two
fashts in question. Therefore, at a later date,
the Bahrain Petroleum company Ltd., was permitted
to drill an artesian well in the island at Jaradeh
which was for the benefit of Bahrain boats in that
locality. M