Page 172 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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(b) Saudi Arabia
94. Before the period under review there was evidence of much interference
by the Governor of Hasa in the affairs of the Trucial States and misgivings were
felt regarding Ibn Saud’s intentions in the areaC") but until 1949 nothing occurred
to justify these apart from the annual despatch by him of parties to collect taxes
on camels belonging to nomad tribes in the outlying parts of Abu Dhabi territory.
The Ruler of Abu Dhabi mentioned the visits of these parties in general terms
to the Political Agent Bahrain in 1934 but made no specific complaint until 1948 !
so that for many years they did not come to the notice of His Majesty’s
Government. In 1948 and again early in 1949 their violations of Abu Dhabi :
territory were brought to the notice of the Saudi Arabian Government but no
formal protest was made.as all or most of the nomads concerned were believed to i:
owe allegiance to Ibn Saud and it was not desired to re-open the boundary dispute.
In 1950 when the dispute had been reopened a formal protest was made.(*'J) This 1
was met by a denial that there had been any trespass and a counter-protest against \
Abu Dhabi’s interference with the Manasir.
;
95. During the period 1934 to 1938 attempts were made to negotiate with
Ibn Saud the boundaries of his territory with the Trucial Slates, Qatar and Muscat,
and it is possible that a satisfactory settlement might have been reached on the
basis of the “ Riyadh Line ” which secured most of the requirements of the States
for which His Majesty’s Government were negotiating, had it been possible to
cede to him Jabal Nakhsh in the Qatar peninsula or the Khor al ’Odaid, which
had been officially recognised as long ago as 1878 as being within Abu Dhabi
territory, and in respect of which a pledge had been given by His Majesty’s
Government in 1906 that they were willing to prevent its occupation by anyone
else but Abu Dhabi. The negotiations are described in detail in memoranda
prepared by the Foreign Office in 1940C0) and are summarised in a note prepared
by the Foreign Office Research Department in 1949.0") After 1938 the dispute
remained in abeyance until it was revived in 1949.(92) :i
96. Early in 1949 some survey parties of the Arabian American Oil Company
trespassed in the southern part of Qatar territory and in the Khor al Odaid area. :•
In April one of these parties was encountered by the Political Officer, Trucial Coast,
near Sila, well inside what was regarded as Abu Dhabi territory. They were
accompanied by a Saudi official and guards who at one time attempted to detain
the Political Officer. The latter gave the leader of the party a written request to
withdraw with which he complied.!9*) The Saudi Arabian Government promptly
protested but stated that they had temporarily called a halt to the Arabian
American Oil Company’s surveying operations and suggested friendly discussions
to settle the dispute.!04) His Majesty’s Government, while protesting at the
violation of Abu Dhabi territory, accepted this proposal and discussions started
at Riyadh later in the year. It was not until October that the Saudi Arabian
Government made a definite statement of their claims (Appendix H). These
included a slice of Qatar territory and a very large area of Abu Dhabi territory
with about 150 miles of coast line extending from the Khor al Odaid as far east
as Mirfah. It was stated that as the Shaikhdoms to the south and east of the
area claimed were not in treaty relations with the British Government, the Saudi
Arabian Government would agree the frontiers in direct negotiation with them.
A reply was sent that the statement did not seem to provide an accepable basis
for further discussion, and that His Majesty’s Government felt that they had i
no option but to take up their position on the basis of the blue and violet lines
of the Anglo-Turkish Conventions of 1913 and 1914. The Saudi claims were
controverted in detail.(,5) The Saudis replied reiterating their claims and suggesting
a “ joint study.” Further correspondence and discussion followed and in May 1950

(,#) Paras. 9-15 at pp. 88-89. P.G. 13.
(•*) Jedda to F.O. Despatch 72 of May 18. 1950 (EA 10325/8a of 1950).
(••) (E 2203/2203/25 of 1940.)
(") (E 7536/1081/25 of 1949.) I
(,s) The exact alignment of the frontier claimed by the Saudis in the vicinity of the Khor al
Odaid in 1935 is discussed in Foreign Office Research Department Memorandum ME 142/54 of
June 21. 1954.
(,s) P.R. to F.O. Despatch 30 of May 5. 1949 (E 5825/1535/91 of 1949).
(M) Tel. from Jedda to F.O. 96 of April 28. 1949 (E 5327/1535/91 of 1949).
(”) Jedda to F.O. Despatch 21 S of November 28. 1949 (E 14598/1081/25).
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