Page 43 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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the islands in dispute between Saudi Arabia on the one hand and Bahrain and
Kuwait on the other, two months after the procedure to be followed had been
agreed. Bahrain was proposed as the meeting placed"7)

55. In January 1950 Salman suggested that he should himself go to see Ibn
Saud and endeavour to reach a settlement with him regarding the sea-bed.C) This
suggestion was not approved by His Majesty’s Government as derogating from
their responsibility for the conduct of his external affairs.!'") Later His Majesty’s
Government reconsidered their attitude and Salman was informed accordingly,
but he then resiled from his suggestion and said that he left the entire responsibility
for the settlement of the dispute to His Majesty’s Government.
56. In August 1950 His Majesty’s Government devised three alternative lines
for the division of the sea-bed which were embodied in a memorandum to be
discussed first with the Ruler of Bahrain and the United States Government and
then presented to the Saudi Arabian Government as a preliminary for discussions
with them.!90) All the lines gave the Bainah Islands to Bahrain and Fasht bu Sa’afah
to the Saudis. The memorandum was discussed with Salman and the Political
Agent reported that he thought the former would agree to the line based on a three
mile limit of territorial waters which was the one favoured by His Majesty’s
Government.!91) A revised memorandum was next prepared, based on two lines
only and shown to the State Department who made certain criticisms.!"2) It was
not presented to the Saudi Arabian Government, as in May 1951 it was decided to
invite the Amir Faisal to London for a discussion of the various matters in dispute.
These discussions took place in August and so far as the disputes between Bahrain
and Saudi Arabia were concerned resulted in a measure of agreement regarding the
procedure to be followed and a clarification of the points at issue (Appendix F).
It was proposed to pursue the matter further if possible at a conference which took
place at Dammam early in 1952 primarily for the settlement of the dispute over
the land frontiers of Abu Dhabi and Qatar, but that conference was adjourned
indefinitely before any consideration could be given to the dispute over the Bahrain
islands and sea-bed and it was subsequently decided that the question should remain
in abeyance until the future course of the frontier dispute had become apparent.(*’)
No further progress had been made in its settlement up to the end of 1953.
57. In July 1951 the Saudi Arabian Government informed His Majesty’s
Embassy at Jedda of their desire to erect six lights to mark the channels leading to
Ras Tanurah and affirmed that should the Bahrain Government have any claims
of ownership to some of the points concerned, the installation by them of the
proposed lights should not be taken as an added claim by them to the ownership
of these points.!94) The Ruler agreed to the proposal on the condition stated. In
October His Majesty’s Embassy informed the Saudi Arabian Government of
His Majesty’s Government’s acceptance of the proposal subject to a number of
conditions, one of which related to Farsi Island (chapter 3, paragraph 69) and another
to territorial waters.!93) In acknowledging this note the Saudi Arabian Government
repeated their affirmation and agreed that the erection of the lights would not have
any effect on the determination of sovereignty over the area in the future. His
Majesty’s Embassy replied that they presumed that this agreement covered their
proposal that the structures on which the lights were placed would not at any time
be given territorial waters of their own irrespective of any decision that might be
reached in the future regarding the applicability of territorial waters to artificial
islands.!96)
58. Towards the end of 1951 the Saudis protested on the ground that a
Bahrain launch containing military personnel had anchored at one of the Bainah
islands.!97) Their protest was rejected. In October 1951 Salman stated in writing his

(,T) F.O. to Jedda. Despatch 28 of April 2. 1951 (EA 1081/50 of 1950).
(••) Tel. from P.R. to F.O. 28 of January 18. 1950 (EA 1272/2 of 1950).
(••) Tel. F.O. to P.R. 51 of January 21. 1950 (E 15211/1271/91 of 1949).
(,0) F.O. to P.R. EA 1276/41 of August 30. 1950.
(•*) P.R. to F.O. 286/23/50 of November 6. 1950 (EA 1276/71 of 1950).
(•’) (EA 1272/17 of 1951.)
(,s) F.O. to P.R. No. ES 1081 /90 of September 12. 1952.
(•*) Jedda to F.O. Despatch 75 of July 19. 1951 (EA 1402/18 of 1951).
(M) Jedda to F.O. Despatch 100 of October 24. 1951 (EA 1402/27 of 1951).
(••) Jedda to F.O. Despatch 18 of January 14. 1952 (EA 1402/5 of 1952).
(”) Tel. from Jedda to F.O. 191 of September 22. 1951 (EA 1081/56 of 1951).