Page 213 - Records of Bahrain (7) (ii)_Neat

Bahrain-Qatar seabed, 1951-1960 603
CONFIDENTIAL

British Residency,
(1531/3) BAHRAIN.
received ir.
April 12, I960
A HC III VI.;,;
•» 9 l.Vi: !.%'(J
s '
P
... »/
l2e(rCft
Thank you for your letter BA 1531/13 of March 25
about the Bahrain/Qatar soa bod boundary.

20 Y/e have studied with much interest the ingenious
solution proposed in paragraph 7 of your letter but have
regretfully concluded that it would be unacceptable to
the Ruler1 of Bahrain who would stand to gain more by the
acceptance of the Median line principle, since acceptance
of the Median line would bring Jaradeh into the Bahrain
area and, if Jaradeh wore ever to be recognised as an
island (Beaumont's letter BA 1271/2 of October 7 to the
Political Resident) this would lead to a further extension
of Bahrain territory.

3o We agree that we cannot disregard the interest of
Shell in the maintcnnn6e of the .1947 award. On the other
hand Shell at present inly have prospecting rights in the
area.?, which would becoilio Bahraini if we accepted the
Median lino, and they nfiust reulioo that the delimitation
of this area lias not yet been finally decided.
4o Now that we know thut the 1947 line was apparently
drawn upton the basis of no recognised principle nt all,
it would seem difficult for us to make a defensible stand
on it when elsewhere li)i tho Gull’ Median line principles
arc being used.

5. \Ye have therefore come to the conclusion thut there
is no practical altermtive to working out the Bahrain/
Qatar sea bed border a< cording to the Median line
principles.
6. This will however immediately raise the question of
the status of Jaradeh. i
7o As you know, we here have for some time been growing
increasingly pessimistic about the situation in Qutur and
the time may well come when we shall iiuve to show our
displeasure for, us you say, Bahrain matters much more to
us than Qutur. There is therefore some attraction in tho
idea uf using support of Bahrain over Jaradeh as the means
of doing tillso Beaumont's letter of October 7 under
reference concluded that it was in our interacts; not to

A. R. YValmsley, Esq. , M.B.E • t /recognise O o o o
Arabian Department,
Foreign Office,
LONDON, S.V/.lo
CONFIDENTIAL