Page 103 - Records of Bahrain (7) (ii)_Neat

Saudi Arabia-Bahrain seabed boundary, 1951-1958 493

Minulti.

mainland)ouchl to ontiafy nil the
dooircs that the Snudis might ever
have with record to boncf 1 ta "to be
dorlvod from oil, and it v/aa unllkel;
that an exploitation in the Fasht
Du Saafa urea would greatly affoct
tho huge total of Saudi’ oil
rovonuoo, whercan it might bo of
tho greatoot Importance .to Dahrnln.
The poaolbllty ohould also bo
considered of exchanging an aroa
further south ao a "quid pro quo"
for the rotontlon by Dahrnln of
tho Du Saafa area in tho north west.
(f) If DArCO were now deprived of
thio area, both they and tho Ruler
would suffer considerable loos on
account of all the work and
expenditure carried out thero and of
the inatallation of boocons which Z
they had erected and which v/ould now 0
bo of no benefit to them.
(g) Mr. Denochoton loft with mo a
compi'chensivo memorandum of DAPOO'o
£
case for retaining ownership of tho X
Funht Bu Saafa area and he also h
promised to provide any further
material or information that he Z
might acquire in futuro. He is
returning to the United States on 2
the 16th June, but will keep in
touch with Colonel Galloway who will
let us have any further information s
that might be of use.
5. Conclusions: Id
CD
Taking into consideration tho O
dividing line principles which we intond H
to propose to the 3oudis in our
forthcoming negotiations it oeems clear 0
that the Fnsht nu Saafa Shoal will fall oi 5
the Sdudi side of tho median line. It X
o
will be too far- away from that line to F-
pormit a small deviation bolng made so ns z
to include tho area on the Bahrain side.
It is evidont however that this area is
now assuming increasing importance as it
may b<r the one place which can assuror**"
Bahrain jvTa stoady revonue in future
when her own main revenue on tho mainland
decrcasos. It is Important, therefore,
that wc ohould endeavour by every means?
political and economic*to retain this
area for Bahrain. Y/e have already
decided that wo should try to retain
Bahrain fishing and pearling rights in
that area^to which wo consider Bahrain
hove a prescriptive title^ but these righto
v/ould not extend to the resources of the
subsoil itoelf. We must now consider
whut arguriiento we can put forward to
givo Bahrain ownership of the sea bod and
tho subooil resources in that area. Since
it was only whon tho possibilities of
oil* being found became apparent that
/ the