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'File 61/11 V (D 95) Hejaz - Nejd, Miscellaneous' [‎39r] (94/530)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (261 folios). It was created in 12 May 1932-28 Dec 1933. It was written in English and French. 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 OP HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
[E 3216/640/25] No. 1.
Sir A. Ryan to Sir John Simon.—(Received June 28.) v
(No. 236.)
Si r} Jetpia, June 7, 1932.
' I HAD the honour to report in my telegram No. 60 of the 30th May my
arrival in Jedda on that day. In view of the circumstances of my recent absence
it mav be worth while to give a short account of certain matters connected with
my return.
2. I reached Jedda in H.M.S. " Hastings " on the morning of the 30th May.
I was met on board by Hamdi Bey, the Director-General of Military Organi
sation, who had been sent from Mecca to present the King's compliments, and who
was accompanied by a junior officer. I was welcomed at the quay by the Governor
of Jedda in person, attended by all the principal local officials holding
subordinate posts.
3. As this was my first landing in Jedda from a warship since my first
arrival, I cannot be certain that the sending of Hamdi Bey to meet me was in the
nature of an extra courtesy, but I got the impression that the Hejazi Government
were anxious to show the maximum of politeness on this particular occasion. In
order to show my appreciation, I made the official announcement of my return
more than formal. I enclose a copy of my note to the Ministry for Foreign
Affairs and a translation of the Acting Minister's acknowledgment^ 1 )
4. Sheikh Yusuf Yasin arrived in Jedda on the evening of the 2nd June.
He visited me the next morning and expressed in the most cordial terms the
King's satisfaction and his own at my return in good health. He went on to
congratulate me on the anniversary of King George's birthday and delivered the
message embodied in my telegram No. 64 of the 3rd June.
5. Sheikh Yusuf Yasin came again in the afternoon to the reception held
by my wife and myself to celebrate His Majesty's birthday. The gathering of
Europeans, local notables, Indians, &c., was a large one for Jedda, and both
Sheikh Yusuf and the Governor were full of friendliness.
6. I am afraid that Sheikh Yusuf Yasin's journey from Taif to Jedda was
undertaken primarily with the object of pressing me in connexion with the Ibn
Rifada incident, which so unfortunately came to a head just before my return.
It is nevertheless gratifying to have evidence of so strong a desire on the part
of Ibn Saud and his Government to treat the episode arisiDg out of the Bakhit
case as dead and buried, at any rate for the time being. I think that their general
attitude has been a good deal affected for the better by the reception accorded to
the Amir Feisal's mission in London and more especially by the telegram
addressed by His Majesty the King to King Abdul Aziz on the occasion of its
departure.
7. I am doubtful as to how far the present atmosphere of affability can
be expected to survive future strains, but I need hardly say that on my own side
I have contributed my full quota to the flow of courtesy. There has been no
reference on either side to the Bakhit affair and its aftermath.
I have, &c.
ANDREW EYAN.
(') Not printed.
[489 ee—2]

About this item

Content

The volume consists of letters, telegrams, and memoranda relating to the Hejaz and Najd. Much of the correspondence is from the British Legation in Jeddah, with regular reports on the situation in that region sent to Sir John Simon, the Foreign Secretary in London. The rest of the correspondence is mostly between the Political Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. in Bushire, the Political Agencies in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Muscat, the Colonial Office, and the Government of India.

The main subjects of the volume are:

  • the change in name from 'The Kingdom of the Hejaz-Nejd and its Dependencies' to 'The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia';
  • the announcement of Ibn Sa'ud's eldest son, Prince Sa'ud, as the heir apparent to the throne;
  • the territorial dispute between Yemen and Saudi Arabia after the latter's absorption of the 'Asir region into its kingdom.

A copy of the 23 September 1932 issue of the newspaper Umm al-Qura is contained in the volume (folios 57-58). It features the Royal Order proclaiming the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Other miscellaneous subjects covered in the volume include:

  • relations between Italy and Saudi Arabia;
  • a dispute between Ibn Sa'ud and his agent in Bahrain, al-Quasaibi [‘Abd al-‘Azīz al-Qusaibi], over a debt the former owes the latter;
  • a revolt against Ibn Sa'ud by tribes loyal to ex-King Hussein coming from Sinai;
  • a request for a loan made by Ibn Sa'ud to the British Government;
  • relations between the Soviet Union and Saudi Arabia;
  • relations between the USA and Saudi Arabia, including the visit of a Mr Gallant looking for oil concessions;
  • concessions for the building of the railway between Mecca and Jeddah;
  • the prospect of Saudi Arabia joining the League of Nations;
  • the case of two slave girls seeking refuge at the British Legation in Jeddah.

Other documents of note contained in the volume are:

  • a copy of a new customs tariff for Saudi Arabia (folios 122-134)
  • a 'Who's Who' of Saudi Arabia, produced by the British Legation in Jeddah and covering all those deemed important to know by the British (folios 183-200);
  • an envelope containing the torn-out pages of an article in the International Affairs journal (Vol. 12, No. 4, Jul., 1933, pp 518-534) entitled 'Ibn Sa'ud and the Future of Arabia.'

At the back of the volume (folios 245-251) are internal office notes.

Extent and format
1 volume (261 folios)
Arrangement

The volume is arrranged chronologically.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The sequence starts on the first folio and continues to the inside back cover. The numbers are written in pencil, circled and 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. Note that following f 1 are folios 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D. The sequence then continues as normal from folio 2. There are two other foliation systems present but both are inconsistent and neither are circled.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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'File 61/11 V (D 95) Hejaz - Nejd, Miscellaneous' [‎39r] (94/530), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/568, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023520516.0x00005f> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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