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'File 8/7 I Jidda Intelligence Reports' [‎11r] (21/536)

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The record is made up of 1 file (266 folios). It was created in Jul 1931-Dec 1934. 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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13
70. On July 7, His Majesty’s Minister tackled Fuad Bey Hamza in
regard to the exact meaning of the last sentence of the Hajazi memorandum
of June 18 (see May-June Report, paragraph 60) . His reply showed clearly
that what they had in mind was a contract of some kind similar to the
one believed to have been made with the Persian Government by Imperial
'Airways. Sir A. Ryan’s impression was that the Hajazi Government
were trying to discover what could be got out of His Majesty’s Government
and/or Imperial Airways before committing themselves. He thought that
Ibn Sa’ud’s recent tendency to conciliate extreme Wahhabi opinion was
probably not without effect on the position, however, for the Nejdi Ulema
might well dislike any truck with foreign aeroplanes in Nejd.
71. At the end of August His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires was posted
with information as to the latest developments connected with the proposed
Arabian Air Route, in case the matter were pursued with the Hajazi Gov
ernment. The position had been somewhat altered since the beginning of
the year (see January-February Report, paragraph 45) by the proposal of
Imperial Airways to use flying-boats instead of land-planes in the event
of their transferring the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. section of their air service to India
to the Arabian coast of the Gulf. The acquisition of facilities for land-
planes on the Hasa coast was therefore no longer of immediate importance,
in so far as Imperial Airways were concerned. No question of a contract
between them and the Hejazi Government was thus likely to arise.
72. British aircraft using the Hasa coast would therefore for the pre
sent be likely to be almost exclusively military. The facilities which His
Majesty’s Government desired to secure for such aircraft remained as
before/namely, the provision of emergency landing grounds on the Hasa
Coast and an" assurance that, if British aircraft were compelled in emer
gency to enter and alight on Nejdi territory or in Nejdi territorial waters,
they would be treated in accordance with the usual rules of international
courtesy and their occupants with ordinary humanity.
V. MILITARY MATTERS.
73. Northern Hejaz .—There was unrest and movement in the North
throughout July and in August. The Beni Atiya, who lay northernmost of
the Hejazi tribes, were apparently given carts blanche by Ibn Sa’ud to pre
vent defections to Trans-Jordan of dissatisfied elements among the Hejazi
tribes further South. Even officials were reported as having deserted, the
Amir of A1 ’Ula, Sheykh Ismail Qauds, and a Nejdi officer of regulars,
named Hamaami (?) amongst them. The Beni Ativa seem to have
interpreted their role in a liberal sense and to have raided the
’Anima, Billi, and Harb to some purpose, while the Amirs of Dhaba and
Tabflk looked on. In early July Mr. Philby tried to make his way as far as
Tabuk with a pair of the new Marconi Mobile stow (?) for testing purposes
and to spy out the land, but he was not allowed further North than A1 ’Ula.
By August Captain Glubb of the Trans-Jordan frontier police considered
that there was a possibility of Ibn Sa ud ordering Ibn Musa id, his Amir of
Rail (?) into the Northern Hejaz with his Shammar (?) to restore ordev,
with probable complications in the shape of a maes (?) Beni Atiya with
drawal into Trans-Jordan for refuge.
74. In the middle of July, however, Ibn Sa’ud sent his kinsman
’Abdullah as-Sudairi as Amir to Tabuk with a dozen cars, Nejdi troops,
and four lossiesfull of arms and ammunition, as well as a camel-gun pro-
baUv the 47a,/m Pocisk (?) presented to Ibn Sa’ud by Poland m August last
tear On arrival he seems to have concerted action with the Amir of Dhaba,
who had a forced of 100 camelmen at his disposal, to overawe the northein
tribes Having apparently succeeded in restoring internal order, e urne
hVs attention to the frontier and carried out motor-patrols near Mudawwara.
Captain Glubb has since reported that the Trans-Jordan police posts are
teing answered post for post on the other side of the frontier by the northern
L807(C)F&PD

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Content

The file contains intelligence reports on the Kingdom of Hejaz, Najd and its Dependencies (after September 1932, Saudi Arabia) written by the British Legation at Jeddah.

Between July 1931 and December 1932 the reports are issued every two months, with the exception of the January-March 1932 and April 1932 reports. From January 1933 the reports are sent on a monthly basis.

Between July 1931 and December 1932, each report is divided into sections, numbered with Roman numerals from I to IX, as follows: Internal Affairs; Frontier Questions; Relations with States outside Arabia; Air Matters; Military Matters; Naval Matters; Pilgrimage; Slavery; and Miscellaneous. Each section is then further divided into parts relating to a particular matter or place, under a sub-heading. Some reports contain an annex.

From January 1933, when the reports become monthly, they take a new format. Each is divided into sections, as follows: Internal Affairs; Frontier Questions and Foreign Relations in Arabia; Relations with Powers Outside Arabia; Miscellaneous (often containing information on slavery and the pilgrimage).

Most reports are preceded by the covering letters from the Government of India, who distributed them to Political Offices in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and elsewhere, and the original covering letter from the Jeddah Legation, who would send them to the Government of India and Government departments in London. From May 1933, most reports were sent directly to the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Bahrain from Jeddah.

Up until January 1933, each report began with an index giving a breakdown of the sections with references to the corresponding paragraph number. From January 1933 onwards no index is included.

Extent and format
1 file (266 folios)
Arrangement

The file is arranged chronologically.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover and terminates at the back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, 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. An additional incomplete foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 6-11; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.

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English in Latin script
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'File 8/7 I Jidda Intelligence Reports' [‎11r] (21/536), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/295, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025543724.0x000016> [accessed 19 March 2024]

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