Coll 6/19 'Arabia: (Saudi Arabia) Hejaz-Nejd Annual Report.' [‎56r] (112/540)

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[17650] d* 3
best possible impression upon Ibn Baud, who resolved to return the compliment
with interest when the sheikh should reach Jedda for the pilgrimage which he
was about to embark upon at the end of the year. The King remarked to Sir R.
Bullard, with regard to the approaching visit, that the sheikh was a very good
man, and, moreover, like himself, of Aneyza origin. Meanwhile, the Ministry for
Foreign Affairs, having ascertained from the Legation that the Sheikh of Bahrein
was now addressed by the British authorities as “your Highness,” announced
that the Saudi Government would of course do the same, and moreover would
give him a salute of twenty-one guns.
62. Ibn Saud’s respect for the Sheikh of Bahrein may have been increased
by the discovery which the Amir Saud is believed to have made during his visit
there, that the A1 Khalifa family are not held down by the British in a position
of inferiority in Bahrein, without prestige or power, as he had frequently heard
from other sources.
63. Certain legislation promulgated in Bahrein in 1937 was examined
carefully in the light of its probable effect upon Bahrein-Saudi relations. This
legislation, which was prompted by Iranian legislation under which Bahreinis in
Iran suffer certain disabilities, consisted of (1) a Bahrein Nationality Law
combined with (2) a Law regarding Ownership of Immovable Property in Bahrein
by Foreigners. The latter provides that foreigners in Bahrein whose Governments
prohibit in their respective territories the ownership of immovable property by
persons other than their own nationals, may be prohibited from owning such
property in Bahrein except within the limits required for their residence, trade
or craft; and that the Bahrein Government may from time to time notify the
Governments whose nationals in Bahrein will be subjected to this prohibition.
The question was to decide whether the Bahrein Government should notify the
Saudi Government under this second law.
64. The annual report for 1934 (paragraph 174) explained the position of
the foreigner in Saudi Arabia in regard to the ownership of real property.
“ Important regulations .... reaffirmed the old principle that foreigners must
not hold real property in the Hejaz, as distinct from the rest of Saudi Arabia.”
His Majesty’s Minister could not find that there was one single Bahreini in the
Hejaz : the one person of Bahreini origin known to the Legation was regarded by
the Saudi authorities as a Saudi subject and had recently travelled on a Saudi
passport. Sir R. Bullard had no information about the number (if any) of
Bahreinis owning land in Nejd and of Saudis owning land in Bahrein, but on
general principles he deprecated the application to Saudis in Bahrein of the
Bahrein Law on Ownership of Immovable Property by Foreigners in Bahrein.
It was true, he said, that it seemed probable that any Bahreinis domiciled in
the Hejaz refrained, as did the Hadhramis, on grounds of expediency and con
venience, from making use of their Bahreini nationality; but whereas he under
stood that Bahreinis in Iran complained of bad treatment from the Iranian
authorities, there was no evidence that any Bahreinis in Saudi Arabia ever
complained of the treatment to which they were subjected by the Saudi Govern
ment. He was against any action which might appear to discriminate against
Saudi subjects, since the relevant Saudi legislation was more generous that that
of Iran; and he expressed the hope that any decision affecting the Saudi Govern
ment might be taken on its merits and not merely in order to avoid giving the
Iranian Government the impression that they had been singled out for special
treatment.
65. 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 Bahrein reported that according to the Bahrein
Government no Bahrein subjects were known to own real property in Saudi
Arabia, but that there were a number of Saudi subjects in Bahrein who would
be seriously aflected should Arabia be “ notified ” under the new law. 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. was of the opinion that Saudi Arabia did not fulfil the conditions
of that law, and in view of that fact, and of the desire of the Bahrein Government
not to “ notify ” the Saudi Government, he considered that it would be impolitic
to do so. This attitude was approved by His Majesty’s Government and Saudi
Arabian Government was not “ notified.”
66. For the Zubara question, see paragraph 56.