Coll 5/1 ‘Persian Gulf Air Routes: Hasa Coast & Flying over Nejd territory — Saudi regulations for the landing of foreign aircraft’ [‎24r] (47/564)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS^BltfTANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
EASTERN (Arabia).
8171
October 31, 1935.
CONFIDENTIAL.
1935 1
Section 2. •
[E 6441/1217/25]
Sir Samuel Home to Sir A . Ryan {on leave).
(No. 319.)
Sir, Foreign Office, October 31, 1935.
YOU will recollect that an opportunity was taken during the course of the
conversations with the Saudi Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs in London
last summer to raise again the question of certain facilities for the aircraft of
the Royal Air Force, and of regular British commercial air services flying along
the air route on the south-western shore of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. between Koweit and
Bahrein.
2. The desiderata of the Air Ministry were explained to Fuad Bey Hamza
at the second meeting at the Foreign Office on the 25th June, and they were
confirmed in a letter addressed to Fuad Bey by Mr. Rendel on the 27th June. A
print copy of the record of the meeting and of Mr. Rendel’s letter is enclosed.(')
For convenience of reference, the Air Ministry desiderata may be summarised as [
follows, in the order in which they were mentioned to Fuad Bey :—
(1) General permission for the British aircraft concerned to fly within Saudi
territorial waters, off the Hasa coast, within gliding distance of the
land.
(2) General permission for the Royal Air Force authorities to send the
necessary minimum of assistance in an emergency at their discretion,
by air, land or sea, to stranded aircraft within the Hasa Province.
(3) Authority for the Royal Air Force to put in order (if necessary) and to
maintain the emergency landing grounds already believed to exist on
Jinnah Island, at Qatif and Res-as-Safaniyah, and to use them in
emergency only.
(4) Permission for the Air Ministry to establish and maintain an airway
automatic light beacon on Jinnah Island for the guidance of aircraft
living down the Hasa coast by night.
(5) The eventual co-operation of the Saudi authorities with the proposed
central weather forecasting station at Basra.
3. At the meeting on the 24th June, Fuad Bey Hamza did not exclude in
principle any of the desiderata put to him, but insisted on the necessity for
scrupulous respect of Saudi territorial sovereignty and the avoidance of any
impression of foreign interference in the internal affairs of Saudi Arabia. He
also mentioned other more concrete considerations, which, after consulting his
Government, he subsequently defined as follows, in a letter of the 6th July to
Mr. Rendel (a print copy of which is enclosed)! 2 ) :—
{a) Facilities for Imperial Airways (Limited) would have to be negotiated
separately between the Saudi Government and the company, whereas
those concerning the Royal Air Force would be negotiated through
the diplomatic channel.
(5) Facilities for the Royal Air Force would have to be in accordance with a
clear agreement in the form of a “ contract or convention for a fixed
period. “ in which should be set forth in detail the matters which may
or may not be undertaken.” A “ general unconditional permission ”
wouM be contrary to Saudi interests, however simple the facilities in
question.
(c) The Saudi Government would expect a fixed annual payment for any i
facilities granted.
( 1 ) “Eastern (Arabia),” June 25, section 2.
( 2 ) “Eastern (Arabia),” July 8, section 2.
[531 hh—2]