Dubai off-shore oil concessions and harbour project

This file relates to Dubai offshore oil concessions. It contains correspondence concerning:

• Request by Continental Oil Company Limited to drill near Sirri Island; the risk of a dispute with Iran if Continental is allowed to drill within 12 miles of Sirri; the question of the attitude of the Ruler of Sharjah Sheikh Khalid Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi; and Mahdi Al Tajir's discussions with the Iranians about their intentions
• Coordinates of offshore wells Dubai Petroleum Company (DPC) and Continental plan to drill, and requests to HMG for permission to drill
• Discovery of oil in commercial quantities by Continental and BP; BP's reluctance to commit to commercial production; and a warning to BP and Continental that they should not attempt to conceal the true extent of the discoveries from the Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum
• DPC base map of the Fateh area
• Consideration of an income tax regulation, possibly using the Abu Dhabi Income Tax Decree, 1965 as a model
• Importance of the commercial exploitation of oil towards the Export Credits Guarantee Department support for loans from the British Bank of the Middle East and Lloyds Bank Limited for Dubai's deep water harbour project, which is to be constructed by Richard Costain Limited