Page 88 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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Kubbar, Qaru and Umm al MaradimC20)
60. These islands were not specifically mentioned in the Kuwait Oil
Company’s concession and when the Ruler granted a concession for his share of
the Neutral Zone to the American Independent Oil Company in 1948 the latter
claimed that these islands were included in it. Both the Ruler and the company
were warned that the islands were part of Kuwait proper and were not and never
had been part of the Neutral Zone, and the Ruler then granted a separate
concession for them to the latter company (paragraph 111 below).
61. In 1946 the Ruler agreed in writing to the erection of a lighthouse on
Kubbar,(,a') and the lighthouse was erected in the same year.
I 62. In April 1952 the Saudi Arabian Government possibly at the instance
of the Pacific Western Oil Corporation who held the concession for their share of
the Neutral Zone sent a note to Her Majesty’s Embassy at Jedda claiming equal
rights with Kuwait in the islands of Qaru and Umm al Maradim on the grounds
that they were opposite the coast of the Neutral Zone and therefore appertained
to it.(,ia) They stated that they intended to inform their concessionary oil company
accordingly. Her Majesty’s Ambassador replied that Her Majesty’s Government
could not entertain any suggestion that the two islands were part of the Neutral
Zone or that the Saudi Arabian Government could have any claim to them.C21) In
September the Saudis sent another note reaffirming their claim. Her Majesty’s
Ambassador replied in more detail asserting that the islands with their territorial
waters, sea-bed and subsoil belonged to Kuwait and pointing out that in the
Kuwail-Nejd Boundary Convention of 1922(,J‘) no islands are included in the
Neutral Zone and that the Zone is defined as being bounded in the east by the
sea.(125) This note was delivered in November 1952 since when nothing further has
been heard from the Saudis on the subject. In April 1953 Her Majesty’s
Ambassador at Jedda gave it as his opinion that their claim was not dead and
reported that a representative of the Pacific Western Oil Company had stated that
if the American Independent Oil Company attempted to exploit the two islands his
company would break them.(,2C) In December 1953 ihe Political Agent informed
the Ruler in writing that there was no objection to his treating the islands as his
own and authorising the American Independent Oil Company to operate on them,
but that Her Majesty’s Government could not guarantee that there would be no
revival of the Saudi claim or guarantee Kuwait or the company against loss.C'7)

Group B
63. This consists of the following islands:—Farsi, Arabi, Harqus, Qran,
Qraiyn, Janah, Jaraid and Maqta. All were claimed for Kuwait in a statement
prepared at the Political Agency in 1951 and somewhat vaguely accepted by the
Ruler.(*“) In the same year a detailed memorandum was prepared in the Political
Residency analysing Kuwait’s claim to the islands for the purpose of proposed
discussions with the Saudi Arabian Government.(,a0) All the islands in the group
were claimed for Kuwait in an aide-memoire presented to the Saudi Arabian
Government in April 1951. In the discussions with the Amir Faisal in London
in August His Majesty’s Government proposed that Kuwait should relinquish her
claim to the other islands on condition that the Saudi Arabian Government should
recognise Farsi as belonging to her.('30) The Amir promised to lay this proposal
before Ibn Saud (Appendix E). Owing to the preoccupation of both Governments
with affairs on the south-eastern frontier of Saudi Arabia no further progress had
been made in the settlement of the dispute by the end of 1953.

(,1#) F.O.R.D. Memo. ME 123/53 (EA 1083/65 of 1953).
(,,‘) I.O. toF.O. Ext. 926/47 of May 1. 1947 (E 3121/64/91 of 1947).
(*”) Tel. from Jedda to F.O. 106 of April 13. 1952 (EA 1087/7 of 1952).
('”) Tel. from Jedda to F.O. 105 of April 13. 1952 (EA 1087/6 of 1952).
(m) No. 8II.T.C.
('”) F.O. to Jedda. Despatch 118 of October 20. 1952 (EA 1087/24 of 1952).
('”) Jedda to F.O. Despatch 49 of April 12. 1953 (EA 1083/23 of 1953).
0”) Kuwait to F.O. 212/53/53 of January 25. 1954 (EA 1537/2 of 1954).
('”) P.R. to F.O. 1081/1/7 of January 18. 1951 (EA 1081/6 of 1951).
(,5*) P.R. toF.O. 1081 /1 /G of June 30. 1951 (EA 1081/43 of 1951).
(,30) F.O. to Jedda. Despatch 28 of April 2. 1951 (EA 1081/50 of 1950).