Page 394 - UAE Truncal States

The Formation of the Federation
Slates, and did not join until some lime after the Federation had been
proclaimed.
Firstly, Ra’s al Khaimah had resented that throughout the
negotiations between the nine States it did not rank equal with the
big four in matters such as the number of delegates and voting rights,
and that neither the British officials nor the Arab mediators
consulted as frequently with Ra’s al Khaimah as with the larger
States.110 To Ra’s al Khaimah it appeared to be not in keeping with
the historic role which the shaikhdom had played in the past. When
the federation was reduced to seven members Ra’s al Khaimah saw
all the more justification for making its presence fell and insisting on
its own terms for membership.
This attitude was reinforced by the persistent rumours which
were circulating to the effect that Union Oil of California, who held
the offshore concession of Ra’s al Khaimah, had made a promising oil
strike. The third exploration well had reached the target zone, a
structure in the lower Cretaceous Thamama limestone from which oil
is produced in Abu Dhabi.120 Two earlier holes had to be abandoned
because the drilling platforms could not be used for such extreme
depths, much deeper than in Abu Dhabi. The third well did
encounter hydrocarbons, and by mid-December 1971 tests had
established that the amount of oil present was too little to justify
production. The hope of finding oil in the onshore concession held by
Shell Hydrocarbons was still more remote, because so far only a
seismic survey had been carried out. The possibility of Ra’s al
Khaimah joining the federation as an oil-rich shaikhdom was the
second reason for its hesitation.
The third problem involved the claim of Iran to the two Tunb
islands. The Ruler of Ra’s al Khaimah refused to sign an agreement
similar to the one which Sharjah eventually accepted. On 30
November 1971 Iranian forces seized the two Tunbs. Ra’s al Khaimah
did not want to arouse a military confrontation between Iran and the
Arab countries, some of whom might have been prepared to provide
troops, but instead appealed to Arab heads of States for moral
support.121 Ra’s al Khaimah sent a delegation, led by Shaikh 'Abdul
'Aziz bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, to the emergency session of the Arab
League on 6 December 1971. He said that his Emirate would like the
problem to be solved peacefully and indicated the possibility of an
appeal to the International Court of Justice.122
From the beginning of December Ra’s al Khaimah re-opened the
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