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19. Visits of Arab Notables.—(i) On the 4th April, General Sir Nuri as Sn’id,
Iraqi Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Shaikh Ifafiz Wahba, the Saudi Arabian
Minister in London, passed through Bahrain in a Royal Air Force plane on their
way to lbn Saud’s camp. The party was met by the Political Agent, the Senior
Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf, Shaikh Abdullah, Shaikh Salman and the Adviser
to the Bahrain Government and lunched at Shaikh Abdullah’s house near the
aerodrome. His Highness the Shaikh was indisposed that day. They again
passed through Bahrain on the 7th April on their way back to Iraq, their mission
having been a great success.
(it) His Royal Highness the Amir Sand arrived herefrom A1 Khobar cn route
to India on the evening of the 19th April with some of his younger brothers. He
was received privately at the Customs pier by His Highness and his Family. The
Amir Saud was as charming as ever and expressed his and Ibn Saud’s gratitude
lor the arrangements made by the Government of India. He referred also to th.ir
strong sympathy for the Allied Cause.
(m) Shaikh Rashid bin Ilumaid, Ruler of Ajman, arrived here on the 5th May
on a friendly visit to the Shaikh of Bahrain. He returned to Ajman on the 20th
May.
(tv) His Royal Highness the Amir Saud arrived here from India by special
plane, on the evening of the 8th June, very much improved in health. He was
received at the aerodrome by Shaikhs Abdullah and Salman, the Adviser to the
Bahrain Government and the Assistant Political Agent, the Political Agent being
absent from Bahrain. His Highness the Shaikh met the Amir at the end of the
causeway and took him to the Palace. On the evening of the 9th June the Amir
was entertained by the Bahrain Petroleum Company.
He left Bahrain for A1 Khobar by launch on the 10th. While he was here
he expressed his gratitude for the assistance given to him by the Government of
India.
20. Qatar.—(t) The Petroleum Concessions (Qatar) Limited had their first
small show of oil in their test well near Zekrit towards the end of 1939. In 1940,
a further test was made by them and the results were most satisfactory.
(ii) It is reported that a squabble occurred on the 30th May between minor
members of the Qasimand Ahmad sections of the Qatar Shaikhly family. Shaikh
Hamad, the heir-apparent, tried to turn this into a major issue and demanded
that the Ahmad party should either be disarmed or deported. The Shaikh of
Qatar held a meeting at which there was a good deal of excitement but it seems
probable that the whole matter has been settled without recourse to drastic
action.
Shaikh Hamad’s attitude was probably influenced by difficulties following
the distribution (or more likely the non-distribution) of the oil money which was
paid by the Company on the 17th May.
(Hi) Shaikh Abdullah bin Qasim A1 Thani, C.I.E., Ruler of Qatar, left for the
Haj with his heir-apparent Shaikh Hamad and some seventy members of his
family. His eldest son Shaikh Ali was in charge during his absence.
21. Petroleum Concessions Limited, (i) Qatar Exploration, (a) Wells and
Drilling.—No. 1 Well was completed to its final depth of 5,G85 feet at the end of
1939 at which point a promising oil “ showing ” was struck. A test was carried
out in January 1940.
During the year 1940 a certain amount of oil from this well was used on road
construction and maintenance essential to the Company’s further exploration
programme.
No. 2 Well, 10 miles South of No. 1, was commenced on the 18th June and by
the end of December 1940 had reached a' depth of 4,798 feet and correlates fairly'
closely to No. 1. This test-well will be carried on as deep as the rig and circum­
stances permit.