Conflicting claims to the sea-bed, shoals and islands in the Persian Gulf between Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Persia

This file relates to the dispute over the shoal of Abu Sa'afah between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. It covers correspondence on:

• Background to the dispute, possible arbitration and HMG's handling of any negotiation on behalf of the Ruler of Bahrain Sheikh Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa (1)
• Memorandum from the Bahrain Petroleum Company Limited (Bapco), including the investigation by Professor Humphrey Waldock of All Souls College, Oxford into Bahrain's claim to the area; and files potentially of use to Waldock (2, 12)
• Discussion by Political Resident in the Persian Gulf B A B Burrows of methods of obtaining a settlement, the Ruler of Bahrain's views and Burrows' request for authority to raise questions with King Saud Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud (3)
• Issue of how to raise the question of an arbitration agreement with King Saud, including: the advantage of Burrows being on good terms with the King; King Saud's proposal to visit Bahrain on 7 April; and postponement of raising the issue until the position regarding Buraimi is clearer (4-5, 8, 10-11, 13)
• Importance of the Fasht Bu Saafa shoal due to its oil potentialities, and the decision to let Burrows ask King Saud to agree to a settlement favourable to Bahrain (6)
• Discussions around the delimitation of the area, including: proposals put to the Saudi Government by Burrows and subsequent counter proposals; and the views of Bapco (7, 9, 14, 16)
• Saudi chart of the Bahrain seabed (15)