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Coll 6/21(1) 'Hejaz-Nejd: Relations with H.M.G.: Hejaz Legation in London and British Minister in Jeddah.' [‎345r] (700/914)

The record is made up of 1 volume (453 folios). It was created in 7 Sep 1927-10 Jan 1935. 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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/THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS-
BRIT
Majesty’s government.
I
EASTERN (Arabia),
CONFIDENTIAL.
~
[E 2695/334/91]
A1 9 2
^
May 26, 1930.
——i—
' \ O .0 i.; .
: *'■" Section 2.
No. 1.
Sir A. Ryan to Mr. A . Henderson.—(Received May 26.)
(No. 109.) y '
Sir, Jedda JMay 9 1930
TV ITH reference to my telegram No. 53 of the 6th instant, I have the honour to
state that I left London for J edda on the 22nd April and arrived here on the
6tli May via Marseilles and Port Sudan. At the latter place I was very hospitably
entertained by the commissioner, Major D. S. B. Thomson, and had the advantage of
discussing with him many matters of Red Sea interest.
2- The arrangements for transporting me from Port Sudan to Jedda in
H.M.S. ‘'Dahlia” were carried out most admirably by Commander R. A.
Jackson, R.N. I should be grateful if a suitable expression of thanks could be
conveyed to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, provided you see no
objection.
3. The Hejaz authorities went out of their way to show attention to me on my
arrival. The Governor of Jedda sent the officer commanding the garrison to
welcome me on board the “ Dahlia,” and himself came down to the landing-stage to
receive me. In addition to his own greetings, he brought me complimentary
messages from the King of the Hejaz, Nejd and its dependencies, including an
expression of regret that His Majesty had had to leave Jedda (where he had been
spending a couple of days), and would be unable to receive me until after the
pilgrimage. After responding suitably to these courtesies, I drove to the Legation
in a car provided by the Governor.
4. In the evening the King caused further messages to be telephoned to me, and
again confirmed them next morning. In addition to replying in the same manner, I
asked the Governor, when calling on him on the morning of the 7th May, to convey
my warmest thanks to the King, as he, the Governor, was about to go to Mecca for
the pilgrimage. At this visit, the Governor, after a cordial exchange of compli
ments, discoursed to me at some length on the improvements made by Ibn Saud in the
arrangements for the pilgrimage, his desire to improve them still further, and his
anxiety to collaborate wuth His Majesty’s Government in doing^ as much as
possible to ensure the well-being of pilgrims, especially from the sanitary point of
view. I assured the Governor that His Majesty’s Government appreciated what had
been done, and w r ould be most ready to harmonise their efforts in the same direction
on behalf of British pilgrims with those of the King of the Hejaz.
5. I am happy to think that everything connected with my arrival went m
such a way as to create a good local impression and to emphasise the importance of
the decision of His Majesty’s Government to appoint a Minister here. By a
fortunate coincidence, my arrival took place on Accession Day. The firing of a
further salute and the dressing of ships, including a large number of pilgrim ships
in honour of that anniversary, gave additional dignity to the visit ot
6 On the 7th May, I wrote to the Emir Feisal as Acting Minister for Foreign
Affairs to ask formally for an audience to present my credentials. Although I have
had no 5 reply as yet, I have reason to think that the audience wall be fixed for an
early day after the 12th May. Sheikh Fuad Hamza returned to Jedda from his
honeymoon yesterday morning, but has not yet notified his resumption of his duties
as Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs. ^ haye &c
A. RYAN.
f 112 cc—2' f

About this item

Content

This volume concerns relations between the British Government and the Government of the Hejaz and Nejd (later Saudi Arabia).

The volume largely consists of copies of Foreign Office and Colonial Office correspondence. The correspondence near the beginning of the volume discusses Ibn Saud's [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd's] wish to enter into full diplomatic relations with the British Government. The Hejazi Government's proposal in 1929 to establish a legation in London is accompanied by a request for the British Government to raise the status of its Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. and Consulate in Jedda to the same status.

The subsequent correspondence in the volume discusses the following:

  • The British Government's consideration (and acceptance) of Ibn Saud's proposal, and the appointment of Sir Andrew Ryan as His Majesty's Minister at the British Legation in Jedda in May 1930.
  • Hafiz Wahba's appointment as Hejazi Minister in London in 1930.
  • Complaints made by the Hejazi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regarding Sir Andrew Ryan's attitude and conduct since his arrival in Jedda.
  • Details of an Hejazi-Nejdi diplomatic mission to Europe (including visits to Italy, France, Britain, and the Netherlands), undertaken in May 1932 and headed by Amir Feisal [Fayṣal bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd], Hejazi Minister for Foreign Affairs (this part of the volume includes detailed accounts of the mission's meetings with Foreign Office officials during its visit to London).
  • Sir Andrew Ryan's account of his meeting with Ibn Saud at Taif in July 1934, and their discussion of the 'blue line' (the frontier which marked the Ottoman Government's renunciation of its claims to Bahrain and Qatar, in the Anglo-Ottoman convention of 1913) and the Kuwait blockade.
  • Details of several meetings held at the Foreign Office between Fuad Bey Hamza (Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs for Saudi Arabia), Sir Andrew Ryan and George William Rendel (Head of the Foreign Office's Eastern Department), during September 1934, regarding the 'blue line', the Kuwait blockade, and the future of the Treaty of Jedda (the treaty signed between Britain and Ibn Saud in 1927).
  • Requests from the Italian Government for information regarding Fuad Bey Hamza's visit to London.

The volume features the following principal correspondents: His Majesty's Agent and Consul at Jedda, a position that was raised to His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires to Jedda in late 1929 (Hugh Stonehewer Bird, William Linskill Bond, Cecil Gervase Hope Gill, and Albert Spencer Calvert successively); His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan); His Majesty's Ambassador in Rome (Ronald William Graham); Ibn Saud; Amir Faisal; officials of the Hejazi/Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs; officials of the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, and the 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. .

In addition to correspondence, the volume contains a copy of the minutes of a meeting of the Committee of Imperial Defence's Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East. The meeting, which took place in London on 8 November 1934, was primarily concerned with the settlement of the 'blue line' issue, the Saudi- Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan frontier, and the Kuwait blockade.

The volume includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the volume by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 volume (453 folios)
Arrangement

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

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 449; these numbers are written in pencil and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. The front and back covers, along with the two leading and two ending flyleaves, have not been foliated.

Written in
English in Latin script
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Coll 6/21(1) 'Hejaz-Nejd: Relations with H.M.G.: Hejaz Legation in London and British Minister in Jeddah.' [‎345r] (700/914), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2087, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100066378258.0x000065> [accessed 5 July 2026]

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