Page 39 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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in bringing about a settlement of the dispute. It was, however, decided not to
resort to arbitration unless absolutely necessary but to endeavour to restore the
status quo under the 1944 and 1950 agreements by persuading Ali to withdraw the
temporary police post near the fort and build instead a permanent post somewhere
in the north of the Qatar peninsula well away from Zubarah and by inducing
Salman to expunge the inscription on the fort and publish a new Education
Department report, which would contain a map omitting the claim to Zubarah.(4I)
40. In September 1953 the Political Resident reported that Salman had
reverted to claims which he had made earlier to sovereignty over the Zubarah
area.(") Though he undoubtedly cherishes such claims he has usually avoided
either asserting or denying them explicitly. In conversation with the Political
Resident in 1946 he stated that he did not claim sovereignty at present and in his
representation to the Secretary of State in 1948 (para. 34 above) he only claimed
private rights and conceded mineral rights to Qatar. It is perhaps his policy to
establish his private rights and subsequently to endeavour to convert them into
sovereign rights In 1875, 1937 and 1945 successive Rulers of Bahrain were
informed that Bahrain’s territorial claims on the mainland could not be admitted.
It may be noted that Salman’s feelings about Zubarah are reputed to be shared by
neither his family nor his subjects,(4r) and a doubt has been expressed whether the
dispute will ever be satisfactorily settled as long as he is alive.

IV.—Islands and Sea-bed
(a) The Hawar Islands
41. In the negotiations for an oil concession for the “ additional area ” which
began in 1936 (para. 64 below) the Ruler claimed the Hawar Islands, which lie off
the west coast of Qatar, as part of his dominions, and in April of that year the
Financial Adviser recorded the claim in writing, stating that the people of the
islands were and always had been under the jurisdiction of the Ruler of Bahrain.('")
In 1938 the Ruler of Qatar wrote to the Political Agent, Bahrain, claiming the
islands on geographical grounds and complaining of Bahrain aggression on them.
He was asked to submit his formal claim supported by all the evidence that he
could produce and told that after that the dispute would be settled by His Majesty’s
Government^'*) He replied that the occupation of the islands by Bahrain was recent
and unlawful and that they clearly belonged to Qatar on geographical grounds.
His claim was communicated to the Ruler of Bahrain and the latter’s counter-claim
was passed on to the Ruler of Qatar. A very lengthy refutation of the Bahrain
arguments was received from the latter, but he was able to adduce little if any
more concrete evidence in support of his claim.('°) The Political Agent, Bahrain,
examined all the documents and after discussing the claims of the parties in detail
gave a finding in favour of Bahrain on the basis of proof of the exercise of
jurisdiction over the islands for a period of many years. This finding was
supported by the Political Resident and accepted by His Majesty’s Government.
It was communicated to the two Rulers in July 1939.C0) A letter of thanks was
received from the Ruler of Bahrain but the Ruler of Qatar expressed his regret and
asked for a reconsideration of the decision. He was informed by the Political
Resident in writing that the decision was final and that the case could not be
re-opened.C)
(b) The Sea-bed between Bahrain and Qatar
42. The necessity for determining the dividing line between the interests of
Bahrain and Qatar in the sea-bed of the waters separating the two States was
recognised in 1940 as a result of the activities of the Bahrain Petroleum Company s

(>*) P.R. toF.O. 1089/50/53 of October 16. 1953 (EA 1017/18 of 1953).
(“) P.R. toF.O. 1089/45/53 of September 3. 1953 (EA 1017/11 of 1953).
(3‘) P.R. to F.O. 1089/38/50 of June 26. 1953 (EA 1017/9).
(3T) I.O. to F.O. P.Z. 3969/36 of June II. 1936 (E 3439/260/91 of 1936).
(3‘) I.O. to F.O. P.Z. 4223/38 of June 28. 1938 (E 3833/413/91 of 1938).
(*•) I.O. to F.O. P.Z. 2894/39 of May 10. 1939 (E 3470/196/41 of 1939).
(•°) I.O. toF.O. P.Z. 4551/39 of July 28. 1939 (E 5368/196/91 of 1939).
(“) I.O. to F.O. P.Z. 6254/39 of October 13. 1939 (E 6925/196/91 of 1939).