"ملف ٣١/٦١ IV [ابن سعود ١٢٠] المفاوضات الأنجلو-سعودية حول الحدود" [ظ‎‎١‎٣‎٧] (٥١٢/٢٨٧)

situatioi} has now been made by the British authorities in the Persian Gulf 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 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 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