Annex 5. Muscat - Sharjah This stretch has proved particularly difficult to settle, owing to the conflicting claims of the Bani Ka'ab and the Bani Qitab. Your Highness has, however, agreed to recognise the whole of the Wadi Qor as Qanasim territory, and Shaikh Sakher bin Hamad confirms that this is correct. Since the stretch between Nejd al Shamisat and Khurus at the watershed of the Wadi Qor was defined as the frontier between Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah in 1956, and since Shaikh Abdullah bin Salim of the Bani Ka'ab does not claim any territory in this area, it seems reasonable to regard the frontier as starting from Al Milaiha, to the east of which nuns the agreed frontier between Your Highness and Shaikh Rashid bin Hamaid, Ruler of Ajman, and continuing westwards to the south of the Wadi Qor so as to leave the whole of the Jebel Raudha and all its foothills, to a distance of 200 yards beyond the limits of the foothills, in Sultanate territory. The frontier should, I recommend, continue as far as the western edge of the Jebel Raudha, leaving Tawi Raudha to Muscat. A slight problem arises here since Your Highness claims Qurn al Humar north of the Wadi Qor, though this claim is not accepted by the Ruler of Sharjah. It might be necessary to regard this qurn and the territory lying between it and the Wadi Qor as a small Sultanate enclave, although it would clearly simplify the settlement if Your Highness were to relinquish this claim and accept the line proposed above. The ownership of the wells Al Khis, Miraiyil, Tawi Maitha, Yidaiya and Madhahia has proved particularly difficult to determine since strong claims to them have been advanced by both sides. After a very careful study of all the available evidence I have come to the conclusion that all these wells, with the possible excep tion of Miraiyil, should be regarded as lying within the dar of the Bani Qitab. On my various visits to these wells over the past three years I have never met any Bani Ka'ab at or near them, although Shaikh Abdullah bin Salim maintains that the Bani Ka'ab dug them all originally, with the exception of Al Khis. He also maintains that Tawi Thiqaibah, which appears to be well inside the Bani Qitab dar, should be divided between the two sides. This the Bani Qitab cannot accept. What ever the situation may have been in the past, it seems reasonable to recognise that the Bani Qitab are in effective control of these wells; and from the reports I have studied, they appear to have exercised this control for at least 15 years. The simplest solution would therefore be to continue the line from Tawi Raudha, following the notor track (which would be in Sultanate territory) south west to Madhahia and thence to Al Uqaidat, where the agreed frontier between Your Highness and the Ruler of Abu Dhabi starts. There seems little doubt locally that the plain lying between this line and the line /Miraiyil
