IOR/L/PS/12/3872

The file concerns the preparation and signing of two agreements relating to the Debai [Dubai] oil concession:

• Political agreement between HM Government and Petroleum Concessions Limited, and its subsidiary company, Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast) Limited, setting out the terms in the event of the Company obtaining a concession from the Shaikh of Dubai
• Refinery agreement between HM Government and Petroleum Concessions Limited (and its subsidiary companies) relating to the refining of crude oil, setting out the terms for the erection of a refinery or refineries on the Arab side of the Persian Gulf.

The papers include: comments by various British Government departments (including the Admiralty, Air Ministry, Petroleum Department and the Foreign Office); drafts of the agreements; correspondence from Petroleum Concessions Limited (PCL); correspondence concerning the insertion of a pre-emption clause in the political agreement setting out the British Government's right of pre-emption of all crude oil obtained under the concession in the event of a state of national emergency or war; signed copies of the two agreements, dated 5 February 1937 (folios 20-23); and India Office confidential print entitled 'Dubai Oil Concession and Connected Documents', containing copies of the political agreement, the commercial agreement between the Shaikh of Dubai and Petroleum Concessions Limited, dated 22 May 1937, and related correspondence.

The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.