In the early 20th century, Ibn Saud had asserted territorial claims over Qatar. According to a British document written in 1936, the prime cause of friction in the territorial dispute revolved around where Qatar's south-west borders should end. The rulers of both Qatar and Saudi Arabia claimed that their control of the Dohat Salwa area had historical precedent, however, Ibn Saud claimed that the Sheikh of Qatar had previously ceded to him this territory, to which the Sheikh vehemently denied.