'File 1/A/38 I Negotiations with Bin Saud re:- Eastern boundary of Saudi Arabia with Qatar & Trucial Oman.' [‎56r] (116/452)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
EASTERN (Arabia).
September 21, 1934.
CONFIDENTIAL.
Section 1.
[E 5957/2429/25]
No. 1.
Record of Third Meeting with Fuad Bey Hamza held at the Foreign Office on
September 21, 1934.
THE following were present:—
Mr. Ren del.
Fuad Bey Hamza, Deputy Saudi-Arabian Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Sheikh Hafiz Wahba, Saudi-Arabian Minister in London.
Sir A. Ryan.
Mr. Johnstone.
Mr. Rendel suggested that the meeting should consider in order the various
points to which Fuad Bey had referred at the end of the previous day’s meeting.
The first of these was the question of Aqaba and Maan. Mr. Rendel was not
altogether clear as to Fuad Bey’s object in raising this question. The present
position between the two Governments rested on the first exchange of notes signed
at the time of the conclusion of the Treaty of Jedda, which provided for the
maintenance of the de facto frontier. He understood that Fuad Bey had recently
stated to Sir A. Ryan at Jedda that the Saudi Government were not seeking to
disturb this arrangement.
Sir A . Ryan added that he understood that the Saudi Government main
tained their previous attitude of reserve towards this question, but that they did
not consider the present time propitious for reopening it.
Fuad Bey explained that for various reasons, both political and religious, his
Government were unable to accept the separation of the Aqaba-Maan district
from the Hejaz. They would always be ready to discuss this question on this
basis, but if His Majesty’s Government did not consider the present moment
opportune for reopening it, the Saudi Government had on their side no wish to
raise it. Failing a further discussion and a new settlement, the Saudi Govern
ment were prepared to preserve the existing arrangement.
Mr. Rendel said that there would, of course, have been advantages—if there
were to be any general clearing up of outstanding questions—in reaching a
permanent settlement on this particular point also. It would have been desirable
to establish a clear and definitive frontier in this area. But there could be no
question of His Majesty’s Government modifying their attitude on the main issue
of the future of Aqaba and Maan, and if the Saudi Government were not prepared
to consider any suggestion for a permanent and definitive settlement on the basis
of the present de facto situation, there would certainly be no advantage in
reopening the question.
On the other hand, there seemed to be some local uncertainty as to the precise
definition of the frontier at various points on the frontier between 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
and Saudi Arabia. In view of what Fuad Hamza had said regarding the Aqaba-
Maan sector of the frontier— i.e., the de facto frontier between 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 and
the Hejaz—there would probably be no object in discussing that sector of the line.
But these considerations need not apply in regard to the 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 -Nejd sector
of the frontier, where there might well be certain advantages in clearing up any
local uncertainties. Mr. Rendel could not make any official suggestions on this
point pending consultation with the 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 authorities; but, speaking quite
personally and unofficially, he thought it might be worth taking the opportunity
of the proposed general settlement to try to dispose of any local uncertainties that
might exist as to the precise definition of the frontier line.
Sir A . Ryan gave as instances of the type of question which had created
difficulty in this direction, the former dispute with the Saudi Government
regarding the position of Haditha, which had since been acknowledged to be in
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