Page 100 - Records of Bahrain (7) (ii)_Neat

490 Records oj Bahrain

i
Minutes • 1 A \ a~\a Jt

Diocuoslon with Oolonol A. C. Galloway,
London Representative of the Bdhraln
Petroleum Company and Mr. D. H. Van
Benschoton, Logal Department, Hoad
Office of BAPCO, regarding the
division of the ooa bod betweon
Bahrain and Suudi Arabia hold on the
15th June, 1931*

1. BAPCO are very interested in the
division of the sea bed between Bahrain and
3audi Arabia because a large part of the
area concerned comes within the tt
originally granted to thorn undor their
BchrftinConcesoion but in which they were
restrained from operating in 19.5*0 pending
the outcome of the dispute between Bahrain
and Saudi Arabia regarding the ownership of
z the sea bed. His Majesty’s Government and
CD Saudi Arabia have agreed that the sea bed
betweon Bahrain and Saudi Arabia should be
<
2 de-limited in accordance with the
Proclamations of sovereignty over the sea
£ bed which wbre issued by both countries in
X May and June 19*19.' The case for
h negotiutiono between the countries is now
being prepared.
Z
2. BAPCO recently offered to provide all
Z the material which they could that might
UJ
assist in strengthening Bahrain's claims in the
north west area during the negotiations
I with the Saudis. We informed them that
whatever additional information they could
supply- would be welcome.
bJ
m
3. At the beginning of the discussion I
O explained the general situation and the
H broad'.- principled on which we intended to
hose our case, but without giving any
detail as to which areas wo considered
2 belonged to Uihraln and which to Saudi
X
! H Arabia. } pointed out, however, that the
: O Shoal of Fnsht r>u-3aefn on which BAPCO
Z place.; vu.-y great value was likely to
I fall on the Saudi side of the median lino
that might be drawn and,although we should
hope to retain poarliir and fishing righto
there for the Unitor of Bahrain*Q6 v/o
considered thut he has a prescriptive title
to thio, it would be difficult to claim
actual ownership of the sea bed and its
sub-ooil reBourcqs. Pearling and fishing
•wore traditional irights of Bahrain whereas
oil io a new factor which has not previously
been exploited nhd to which Bahrain could
claim no right by virtue of traditional
: usage over a long period of years.
ii. Mr. Benocholon's main points v/ore:-
(a) For many years Bahrainpossessed
undisputed control over the north west
areas in the vicinity of the Faoht Bu
Snafa Shonl. A large number of
Bahraini people lived there almost
/continuously