"التحكيم المتعلق بالبريمي والحدود المشتركة بين أبو ظبي والمملكة العربية السعودية" [مع خرائط] [ظ‎‎١‎٥‎٩] (٥٤١/٣٢٣)

150
TP*'
into discussion now; for the position of the Ottoman Government at that time
was clear and evident, in that they did not possess the right to determine the destiny
of the countries which had concluded agreements in this respect with the British
Government; for it is clear and evident that the authority of the Ottoman Govern
ment over the territories under discussion, while it did not extend beyond the
inhabited towns and villages and was not exercised outside them, ceased in fact
as soon as His Majesty the King recovered the territories of his ancestors and
established his legal authority in them, by occupying al-Hasa on the 5th Jumad
al Ula 1331 (corresponding to the 13th April 1913). Every agreement made by
the Ottoman Government in respect of these territories after the above mentioned
date is void, as emanating from a Government having no concern with them.
2. Article 1 of the Treaty concluded between His Majesty the King and the
British Government on the 18th Safar 1334 (corresponding to the 16th December
1915) states as follows:—)
“ The great British Government categorically recognise and acknowledge
that Nejd and Hasa and Qatif and Jubail, and their vicinities and boundaries (or
limits) which shall subsequently be discussed and determined and their ports on
the shores of the Persian Gulf, belong to (lit. “ are of ”) the dominions of Ibn
Sa’ud and to the dominions of his ancestors who came before him. They hereby
recognise (lit. “ describe ”) the said Ibn Sa’ud as an independent ruler over the
above-mentioned dominions and absolute Chief of their tribes ”, etc.
From perusal of this Article the following facts are clear: —
(a) The actual frontier line was not definitely laid down but it was agreed
that it should subsequently be fixed.
(b) The British Government acknowledged (the right of) His Majesty the King
to the dominions of his ancestors.
(c) They also acknowledged his right to all the tribes belonging to those
dominions.
id) Their agreement to the ‘ Uqayr Protocol, in which was laid down as the
frontier between Nejd and Kuwait a line other than that defined in the Anglo-
Turkish Convention, thereby recognised the inappropriateness of that line to serve
as a true and acceptable basis for the frontiers between His Majesty’s dominions
and the other neighbouring countries.
3. It is known among the Arab tribes that the confines (frontiers) of Qatar
are the confines (frontiers) of the inhabited towns and villages, and that at those
points the confines (frontiers) of the countries generally known to form part of
His Majesty s dominions end. In the case of the existing limits (same word)
between His Majesty’s dominions and Qatar, these end in the Hajrat of Qatar.
The Government of His Majesty only contemplate an alteration of the known
frontier, or even the existing one, by means of a straightforward (lit. chaste) agree
ment which they wish for and would welcome by opening the door for its attain
ment.
4. All the tribes living between the coastal towns of Qatar and the coast (
Oman and the Hadhremaut belong to the Saudi Arab Kingdom, are entire!
submissive to the laws of the country, pay Zakat, and are obedient to the calls c
the Government in the time of war (Jihad) etc.,
This situation of fact and the authority of the Government of His Majesty tl
King over them meet with no opposition at any time on the part of the Amirs c
those coasts, they (the Government) have considered, and still consider, that th
is one of the rights of His Majesty, to which there can be no opposition.
8th Rabi’al Awwal, 1353,
(20th June 1934).
[fol. 2]