Agreement at Uqair on 2 December 1922 which defined the boundaries between Iraq and the Sultanate of Nejd (modern Saudi Arabia) and between Kuwait and Nejd
The Uqair Protocol defined the modern borders of Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, stripping Kuwait of over two-thirds of its territory without its participation.
Key Facts
- Date signed
- 2 December 1922
- Negotiated by
- Percy Cox, British High Commissioner to Iraq
- Kuwait territory lost
- More than two-thirds
- Neutral zones created
- Saudi–Iraqi and Saudi–Kuwaiti neutral zones
- Kuwaiti town lost
- Port of Manifa, Kuwait's second largest town
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Ikhwan raiders from Nejd under Ibn Saud attacked Kuwait, prompting British High Commissioner Percy Cox to convene negotiations at Uqair to establish firm boundaries between Mandatory Iraq, the Sultanate of Nejd, and the Sheikhdom of Kuwait.
On 2 December 1922, Percy Cox met with Ibn Saud and British Political Agent Major John More at Uqair. The resulting protocol delineated borders among Mandatory Iraq, Nejd, and Kuwait, and established two neutral zones—one Saudi–Iraqi and one Saudi–Kuwaiti. Kuwait was excluded from the negotiations entirely.
Kuwait lost more than two-thirds of its territory, including the port of Manifa, its second largest town. The exclusion of Kuwait from the process and the severe territorial losses fueled anti-British sentiment among the Kuwaiti population and shaped the modern boundaries of the region.
Political Outcome
Borders between Mandatory Iraq, the Sultanate of Nejd, and the Sheikhdom of Kuwait were formally defined; Kuwait lost over two-thirds of its territory and two neutral zones were established.
Undefined and contested boundaries between Iraq, Nejd, and Kuwait, with Ikhwan raiding activity
Formal borders established; Kuwait significantly reduced in size and Nejd's boundaries with Iraq and Kuwait recognized