"ملف 8/15 سلسلة الجزيرة العربية - ١٩٣٣-١٩٣٩" [و‎‎١‎٢‎٠] (٤٣٤/٢٣٩)

16
of Finance to levy a yearly tax of 5 per cent, the rent on all properties in the Kingdom
but not on a rental basis. 1 roperty occupied by the owner is exempted, subject
to a provision that the tax must be paid on any portion of the property let to
another occupant. Provision is made for the compilation of lists of rented pro-
perties and for the imposition of the tax as from the beginning of the lunar year
looo. ine tax is payable by the owner of the property.
v?' } ^ sendm g copies of this despatch to the Government of India, Foreign and
1 olitical Department and to the Department of Overseas Trade.
(26)
Memorandum No. 32 (587/244/4), dated the 27th March 1936.
^ 1S Majesty’s Minister at Jedda presents his compliments to H. E the Viceroy
ol India (Foreign and Political Department), and has the honour to transmit to
him a copy of despatch to the Foreign Office, No. 94, dated the 29th March 1936
Concerning Seyyid Tahir ad-Dabbagh ; Sheykh Abdur-Rauf Sabban and Muham-
[Enclosure to Serial No. (26)].
Letter from His Majesty's Minister, Jedda, to the Foreign Office, No.
74 (586/244/4), dated the 29th March 1936.
With reference to my despatch No. 355 of December 14th last [Serial No. (11)1
I have the honour to state that the Saudi Arab Government have now rewarded
the three principal ez-conspirators, who returned to this country last year under
ment. amneS ^ ” P roc ^ a ^ me ^ J anuar y 1935, by giving them the following appoint-
{a) Seyyid Tahir Ad-Dabbagh to be Director of Education ;
(b) Sheykh Abdur-Rauf Sabban to be a member of the Legislative Council, as
^organised for its new two years’ session beginning March 24th,
(c) Major Muhammad Sadiq to be Assistant Director of Awqaf.
2 These three gentlemen had already been treated with marked consideration
e.g., the first two were among the guests at the banquet presided over by the Amir
Feyzal and attended by all the foreign representatives here on the evening of Jan
uary 8th, the King’s Accession Day. Muhammad Sadiq was omitted from the
banquet, possibly for some political reason, but he too seems to be favourably re
garded in certain high Saudi circles. He did not come so much to the attention of
His Majesty’s Government as various other conspirators, when the Saudi Govern
ment were raging against them in and about 1932, but he has some importance in
this country, as he commanded for a time the forces which defended Jedda for the
Hashimites at the time of the Saudi invasion of the Hejaz.
3. I take the oportunity of correcting a misapprehension, under which I have
laboured for some time regarding the Directorate of Education and which I may have
conveyed to others. I was under the impression that the Saudi Minister in London
was still theoretically Director General of Education and that the late working hand
of the Department, another Egyptian named Ibrahim Shura, was Director. Fuad
Bey tells me that Sheykh Hafiz Wahba vacated the department on his appointment
to London but that it was not filled. Ibrahim Shura, the Director of the “ Sand
Institute ” in Mecca, was made acting director. He has now reverted to his post at
the Saudi Institute on the appointment of Ad-Dabbagh to the substantive post of
Director of Education. 1
4. I am sending copies of this despatch to Baghdad, Aden, Trans-Jordan and
the Government of India.
I have the honour to be with the highest respect.
(27)
Memorandum No. 33 (595/238/10), dated the 29th March 1936.
His Majesty’s Minister at Jedda presents his compliments to H. E the Viceroy
of India (Foreign and Political Department), and has the honour to transmit to
MS132FD