Qatar
The early part of the twentieth century saw the rapid rise to power of the Wahhabi movement in the Arabian Peninsula. Ibn Saud, leader of this movement came to conquer most of the Arabian peninsula and by 1932 he was proclaimed King of Saudi Arabia.
Although the Gulf States were never directly invaded by his forces, the influence of the Wahhabis remained strong, and Abdulla Al-Thani was constantly aware of the potential threat to his security from the new Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
British promises of protection never materialised, and the Qataris eventually paid a tribute to the Al Sauds to preserve their sovereignty and ward against invasion.
In the 1930's, however, the picture changed dramatically and irrevocably with the discovery of oil The first strike in Bahrain in 1932 by Socal (an American consortium) led to a rush of interest by the British, alarmed that the Americans might come to dominate this new found source of wealth in the Gulf. An option had already been granted to the British by Qatar as early as 1926, athough the company (the Anglo Persian Oil Company - APOC), had chosen not to exploit it further. The ruler, Abdulla, used this new-found enthusiasm of the British in the 1930's to gain increased commitment from them with regard to the safety of Qatar, and the guarantee of succession for his son and heir, Hamad. In 1935 the first oil concession was granted to Petroleum Development Qatar Limited (PDL) - a newly created subsidiary of APOC, for a period of 35 years. In 1939, oil first flowed from a well near Zakrit on the west coast of the country. Exploitation was delayed due to the Second World War, and it was not until 1949 that production was undertaken in a major way. In 1963 the Qatar Petroleum Company was founded. Concessions were eventually granted to a number of other companies, notably Shell.
Offshore production began in 1964 and by 1976 the newly formed State of Qatar had gained control of all oil production within the country and offshore.
*****
Everyone has heard of foreplay, but not everyone really knows much about it.
History / The Early Twentieth Century and The Discovery of Oil
http://www.asiatour.com/qatar/e-01land/eq-lan13_d.htm
Jan Garanoz
Juhu Tara Road, Juhu,
Mumbai - 400049 India
Last updated: March 11, 2010