Page 93 - Arabian Studies (II)

The Powers and Mineral Concessions in the IdrTsTImamate of 'Asir 83

'Minto* of the Red Sea Patrol. He wanted not only the Farasan oil
concession but also a pearl-diving concession and that of the SalTf salt
mines. But before proceeding to meet the IdrTsT, Craufurd was
advised to drop his request for the SalTf concession until ‘the
committee for the settlement of Arabia’ had decided the future of
the SalTf peninsula. Craufurd received a great deal of assistance from
the Resident: not only was he given a letter of introduction to the
IdrTsT but also the Resident instructed the Administrator of Kamaran
to conduct Craufurd to SalTf.2 7
The oil companies seeking concessions from the IdrTsT all suffered
a setback in October when the Foreign Office cabled Aden that until
the future of Arabia had been ‘definitely settled’ the IdrTsT was not
in a position ‘to grant valid concessions at SalTf or anywhere else.
Please inform Major Holmes that for this reason we not only are
unable to assist him in any way but we cannot even undertake to
recognize any concession that the Idrisi may grant him’.
The representatives of the Eastern and General Syndicate, on their
way to meet IdrTsT, were unaware of the Foreign Office attitude. The
IdrTsT invited them to visit Farasan to satisfy themselves as to the
possibility of finding oil in commercial quantities — after which
negotiations could begin. On 20 October the IdrTsT said that if he
granted the concessions Muslims would say ‘he had sold Arabia to
the Christians’. In order to offset public opinion he would have to
act in accordance with sharVa/i law which proclaimed that one fifth
of the production of a mine had to go to the Bait al-Mal or treasury.
In addition the Company which obtained the SalTf concession would
have to pay for the upkeep of a force for its protection. If these
conditions were acceptable to the Company Sayyid Mustafa could be
sent to Aden to open negotiations with the Syndicate.2 8
It was at this point that Holmes stated the terms he would have
offered the IdrTsT. He was to have had a 15 per cent share in the
capital of the Company operating at SalTf as well as £250 per month
as protection money or one shilling per ton of salt and a royalty of
£250. Similarly the IdrTsT would have been offered a 15 per cent
share in the Company operating on Farasan and £250 per month as
protection money.2 9
Meanwhile the Italians had been showing an interest in acquiring
the Farasan concession; in October 1920 two Italians landed at
JTzan, but Sayyid Mustafa informed them that it was not advisable to
discuss the question till the Turkish peace had been settled.
Further competition for the concessions occurred when Major
Goldie, formerly of the Arab Bureau in Cairo, later acting British
Agent in Jeddah, arrived in Aden as representative of the banking