Page 487 - Truncal States to UAE_Neat

Notes to Chapter Eight
and the principalities of south western Arabia were also in the 20th
century made to conclude specific treaties for specific issues which
touched on British interests. When and where the need arose, agree-
ments were made concerning trade, customs, monopolies, legal protec­
tion for British Indian subjects, subsidies for health measures, tele­
graph lines, postal stations, navigational demarcation, etc.
48 At the request of the Persian Government as much as for the sake of
securing the peace in the area, Britain tried to suppress the large-scale
arms traffic which had developed during and after the Afghan War of
1879-80. The Trucial Rulers signed an agreement in 1902 to prohibit the
import and export of arms and ammunition for sale. See Lorimer,
Histor., Appendix N, pp. 2556-93, with the text of the 1902 agreement
on pp. 1588f.
49 A similar undertaking was given by the Shaikh of Kuwait; see
Aitchison, Treaties, vol. XI, 1933 edn p. 263.
50 This was demonstrated by the many cases in which British, Indian and
other nationalities were prevented from participating in the pearling
industry in order not to disturb this prime source of income for the Arab
littoral population.
51 An undertaking to this effect was given in a letter by Shaikh Khalid bin
Ahmad, Ruler of Sharjah, written on 17 February 1922; a similar letter
was written by the Ruler of Ra’s al Khaimah on 22 February. The Rulers
of Abu Dhabi, 'Ajman and Umm al Qaiwain gave, on 3,4 and 8 May 1922
respectively, written promises similar to the one given by the Ruler of
Dubai on 2 May 1922 which had staled: “Let it not be hidden from you
that we agree, if oil is expected to be found in our territory, not to grant
any concession in this connection to any one except to the person
appointed by the High British Government." Aitchison, Treaties, vol. XI,
1933 edn p. 261.
52 See Longrigg, Oil, 1961, pp. 12ff and pp. 27ff.
53 The New Zealander, Major Holmes, had obtained in 1924 an exploration
agreement from the Ruler of Bahrain. The investment required for
exploration anywhere in Eastern Arabia was considered too high by
British oil companies, and Holmes could only dispose of his concession
to an American firm, which had to be made to “look British" to fulfil the
terms of the 1914 undertaking, by incorporating it in Canada in 1930 as
Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO), a subsidiary of Standard Oil Co.
of California.
54 The shareholding in the IPC at the time was as follows: 23.75 per cent
each to BP, Shell, Compagnie Frangaise des Petroles, and Near East
Development Corporation (half Mobil and half Standard Oil Co. of New
Jersey) and 5 per cent to Participations and Explorations (Gulbenkian).
55 An agreement between the Standard Oil Co. of California and King
'Abdul 'Aziz was concluded in July 1933; this was conducive to the
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