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Coll 6/19 'Arabia: (Saudi Arabia) Hejaz-Nejd Annual Report.' [‎10r] (20/540)

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The record is made up of 1 file (268 folios). It was created in 18 Apr 1931-18 May 1945. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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( c.o, i Yi4. l '3 i >y i h.torj}
■ JS
4**
!ND£af
THIS OOGUME
sIrH
CONFIDENTIAL
IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
30 MAR W*
f)
ARABIA.
With the Compliments
of the
February 28, 19
CONFIDENTIAL. Under Ser-- ^
LE 1293/1293/25]
for Affairi
itate
^ 1 Q
Section 1.
4 4
fill'
•f o ^
Ur;
Mr. Jordan to Mr. Eden.—(Received ^F^bj'yary.)
Asi
Copy No.
fL/fl* h
/Kr v . • . ,
Sir, Jedda, 15th February, 1944.
IN accordance with the instructions contained in Viscount Halifax’s circular ^
despatch of the 4th November, 1939, I have the honour to transmit to you here- '
with my Annual Report on Saudi Arabia for 1943.
I am indebted to Mr. T. Wikeley for his assistance in the preparation of
I am sending copies of this despatch and its enclosure to the Minister of ^
State Resident in the Middle East, and to the Political Intelligence Centre, £Sa^c*4.
Middle East. XA *■
I have, &c. . ^
S. R. JORDAN. 5).
tr O _ .
m
Enclosure.
Annual Report on Saudi Arabia for 1943.
Introduction.
HIS Majesty’s Government’s relations with the King and Government of
Saudi Arabia were most cordial throughout the year, and Ibn Saud gave multiple
evidence of his friendship and complete trust in His Majesty’s Government.
2. The high lights of the year were the departure of the Vichy Minister
and the withdrawal of the Saudi Minister from Vichy, the departure of the
German and Italian internees, both military and civil, Ibn Saud’s attitude over
the question of Arab unity, the greater interest being shown in this country by
the United States, and, finally, a successful pilgrimage of some 42,000 persons,
marred only by one unhappy incident mentioned in the body of this report.
3. Mr. Stonehewer-Bird left Jedda on the 15th December, 1942, and
Mr. T. Wikeley acted as His Britannic Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires until the
2nd September, 1943, when Mr. Jordan arrived. The latter left for Riyadh
soon after his arrival and presented his credentials to His Majesty the King in
person on the 19th September, 1943.
Arab Affairs.
4. The Arabs probably made more noise and caused more ink to flow
(activities in which they are highly proficient) during 1943 than in any recent
year. The ball of Arab unity, more or less quiescent at the opening of the year,
was given a hefty kick in February by the Prime Minister of Iraq. The rest
of the year was spent by the Arab leaders in pushing the ball back and forth
in an indecisive and unco-ordinated manner. Never once did a team emerge
capable of planting the ball firmly between the goal posts. Ibn Saud was,
naturally, interested in the game, but his efforts were largely confined to pushing
the ball, of which he has lively suspicions, away from him whenever it threatened
to approach. If, in spite of his efforts, it came too close, he appealed to the
referee (His Majesty’s Government) either to take it away from him or to tell
him how and where to kick it. If other Arab leaders had shown the same faith
in the referee’s honour and wisdom, much unnecessary trouble would have been
avoided.
5. Ibn Saud believes that Arab countries should be independent, but he
is far too wise and knows the Arabs far too well to hope that they will be able
to sink their petty jealousies to form a strong federation for a long time to come.
[51—38] B
n.

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Content

This file contains copies of annual reports regarding the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd (later Saudi Arabia) during the years 1930-1938 and 1943-1944.

The reports were produced by the British Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan, succeeded by Sir Reader William Bullard) and sent to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (and in the case of these copies, forwarded by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to the Under-Secretary of State for India), with the exception of the reports for 1943 and 1944, which appear to have been produced and sent by His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires at Jedda, Stanley R Jordan.

The reports covering 1930-1938 discuss the following subjects: foreign relations; internal affairs; financial, economic and commercial affairs; military organisation; aviation; legislation; press; education; the pilgrimage; slavery and the slave trade; naval matters. The reports for 1943 and 1944 are rather less substantial. The 1943 report discusses Arab affairs, Saudi relations with foreign powers, finance, supplies, and the pilgrimage, whilst the 1944 report covers these subjects in addition to the following: the activities of the United States in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East Supply Centre, and the Saudi royal family.

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.

Extent and format
1 file (268 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 269; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located at the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-12 and ff 45-268; these numbers are also written in pencil but are not circled.

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English in Latin script
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Coll 6/19 'Arabia: (Saudi Arabia) Hejaz-Nejd Annual Report.' [‎10r] (20/540), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2085, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100036362870.0x000015> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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