Coll 6/40 'Hejaz-Nejd. Changes in Government Appointments.' [‎61r] (122/150)

f
[This Document is the Property of HIslBiTtannic'.Majesty’s GoYernment.1
i 1 ±
EASTERN (Arabia).
CONFIDENTIAL.
; 6687
!3 2 9
October 1, 1929.
SectiOx\ t 1,
5017/5017/91]
No. 1 ,
n.r
Mr. Bond to Mr. A. Henderson.—(Received October 1.)
(No. 230. Secret.)
Sir, Jeddah, September 10, 1929.
WITH reference to this agency’s despatch No. 60 of the 20th April, 1928,
transmitting a list of Arab personalities, I have the honour to enclose biographical
notes on Abdulla Suleiman and Tewfik-esh-Sherif for addition to the list.
2 . No circulation of this despatcli and its enclosure is being made from this
post.
I have, &c.
W. L. BOND.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Abdulla Suleiman. Biographical Notes.
A Nejdi, probably from Riyadh, who started life as coffee boy to Qnsaibi, the
Bahrein pearl merchant, in whose service he subsequently spent ten years in Bombay
as Arabic clerk on 30 to 40 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. a month. He was at one time a broker Often a local commercial agent in the Gulf who regularly performed duties of intelligence gathering and political representation. , but as such
was declared insolvent. On the death of his brother, who was a correspondence clerk
employed by Ibn Sand, Abdulla Suleiman, on the recommendation of Qusaibi, entered
the royal service in his brother’s stead. He had no position of standing until the fall
of Jeddah, when, in the general distribution of posts, he was appointed Reis-ed-Diwan.
He gradually enlarged the scope of his activities to include charge of all household,
Bedouin and finally financial affairs. His financial control has since last autumn
been absolute. He seizes every penny that enters the revenue-earning departments,
| and his omnipotence in the Ilejaz is unchallenged except perhaps by Fuad Hamza.
He travels with a larger retinue and in greater state than Ibn Sand himself.
(June 1929.)
Tewfik-esh-Shcrif.
He is sometimes called Tewfik Bey Sherif. Comes of a Yemeni family said
to be of a certain importance, which has been established for the last century at
Damascus. He is a graduate of the Turkish Military College and was a captain in
the Turkish army. He was for many years the secretary of the Great Senussi, and
accompanied Syed Senussi to Nejd and later to Mecca. Here he became appointed
Rais-ed-Diwan of Naib-el-Am in Mecca. This post, however, he surrendered in favour
of employment as Ibn Sand’s propagandist and unofficial agent abroad. In this
capacity he visited India in 1926, afterwards visiting Germany, where he is reported
to have had relations with Soviet agents. Apparently owing to the King’s distrust
of his activities at this juncture, or possibly considering it expedient to disown him,
a notice was published in the “ Um-el-Qura ” stating that Tewfik Bey Sherif was in
Germany as a merchant, and had no connexion with the Hejaz Government. The
local Hejaz officials, however, had no doubts as to the fact of his employment,
especially as Tewfik Bey Sherif was known to be still sending confidential reports to
the King and to the Emil Faisal at Mecca.
Although a Syrian, he has privately declared himself to be opposed to Fuad Hamza,
l ussuf \assin and the other Syrian opportunists in the country whom he accuses of
dishonesty and whom he considers to have a malevolent influence on the King,
particularly so far as Ibn Saud’s relations with His Majesty’s Government are concerned.
He professes great concern for the future of Arabia and regret at the neglect of the
country’s real interests under the Saudian regime, which, he declares, is now no better
than that of King Hussein. He has a fair knowledge of French and some slight
acquaintance with English, and has been spoken of as an alternative Foreign Minister
to luad Hamza. Is small, gentle almost to timidity, and has a certain quiet charm.
Physicially he is a weakling. (June 1929.)
[927 a —1]