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Coll 6/19 'Arabia: (Saudi Arabia) Hejaz-Nejd Annual Report.' [‎62r] (124/540)

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The record is made up of 1 file (268 folios). It was created in 18 Apr 1931-18 May 1945. 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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discovery of the exact position of Safaq, the note would explain that His Majesty’s
Government did not claim for themselves or for their proteges anything beyond
that line but proposed to treat the territory on the Qatar and Abu Uhadi side
of the line as being under their suzerainty and control or that of the Arab rulers
concerned. It would add that His Majesty’s Government desired to record their
position to avoid misunderstanding, but that to save Ibn Baud any possible
embarrassment they would not press for publication.
105. Sir R. Bullard replied that the possibility that prospecting for oil
might begin soon justified the communication, but proposed that to soften the
blow we should first give the most favourable reply possible to Ibn Sand’s request
for arms (reminding him of the arms supplied at a critical moment in 1929, and
saying that we did not propose to press for payment or, better, that the balance
had been wiped out), and then send as sympathetic a reply as possible to the
protest about being hemmed in and should offer to show any Saudi representatives
that might be appointed that Jabal Nakhsh was part of Jabal Dukhan, this
question was considered at a Middle Dast Sub-Committee on the 29th June and
the Foreign Office informed His Majesty’s Minister that the suggestion for a
unilateral declaration by His Majesty’s Government need not be pursued, at
any rate until it was known that the oil companies had decided to start pros
pecting and exploitation in the disputed areas. The Foreign Office said that they
were inclined to adopt Sir R. Bullard’s proposal for a communication to Ibn
Saud suggesting a survey of the disputed area—a rough topographical enquiry
and report which need not take many months, though they said it would probably
be necessary to insist on the inclusion of a representative of the Sheikh of Qatar
in the party. They authorised Sir R. Bullard to speak to Ibn Saud in this sense
or to leave it till later when it might be possible to put forward more detailed
proposals. In virtue of this discretion Sir R. Bullard, who was just about to
leave for Riyadh when the telegram came, decided to leave the point until later,
partly because all that he and, as it turned out, the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. also had
had in mind was “ a brief visit to the area in question by which Saudi represen
tatives could by evidence of their own eyes see that our contentions were correct
and especially that Jabal Nakhsh was part of Jabal Dukhan.”
106. The question remained in abeyance for some months, but news was
received that the California Arabian Standard Oil Company, who hold the
concession on the Saudi side of the frontier, were showing activity in the neigh
bourhood of Qasr-as-Salwa, and this made it necessary to take a decision. A
meeting of the Middle East Official Sub-Committee was therefore held on the
8th November, Sir R. Bullard being present, and on the strength of the decision
adopted instructions were issued to Jedda which formed the basis of a note
addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs by His Majesty’s Legation on the
4th December. The important passage of this note read
“ I have the honour to inform your Royal Highness that according to
recent reports which have reached His Majesty’s Government it appears that
the Standard Oil Company of California (California Arabian Oil Company)
are prospecting in the neighbourhood of Qasr-al-Salwa. the views of His
Majesty’s Government with regard to the frontier in the said area have
already been communicated to His Majesty King Abdul Aziz, and His
Majesty’s Government are prepared to reopen negotiations for a settlement
on the lines they have indicated. They assume that in the meantime no
attempt will be made by the California Arabia Company to pass the line
defined in the latest proposals of His Majesty’s Government to His Majesty
Kino- Abdul Aziz so long as no final agreement has been reached as to that
line. Since, however, there is some uncertainty as to the precise position of
certain of the physical features concerned, His Majesty s Government
propose that a joint Anglo-Saudi topographical mission should be appointed
to establish on the spot the exact nature and position of those features.”
To obviate misunderstanding the definition of the frontiei as given by Sii Andiew
Ryan at Riyadh was repeated, with the necessary modification in regard to Safaq.
107 As soon as the note had been sent in, the Foreign Office weie infoimed
in order that they might be able to act on their intention to acquaint the London

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Content

This file contains copies of annual reports regarding the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd (later Saudi Arabia) during the years 1930-1938 and 1943-1944.

The reports were produced by the British Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan, succeeded by Sir Reader William Bullard) and sent to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (and in the case of these copies, forwarded by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to the Under-Secretary of State for India), with the exception of the reports for 1943 and 1944, which appear to have been produced and sent by His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires at Jedda, Stanley R Jordan.

The reports covering 1930-1938 discuss the following subjects: foreign relations; internal affairs; financial, economic and commercial affairs; military organisation; aviation; legislation; press; education; the pilgrimage; slavery and the slave trade; naval matters. The reports for 1943 and 1944 are rather less substantial. The 1943 report discusses Arab affairs, Saudi relations with foreign powers, finance, supplies, and the pilgrimage, whilst the 1944 report covers these subjects in addition to the following: the activities of the United States in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East Supply Centre, and the Saudi royal family.

The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (268 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 269; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located at 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 foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-12 and ff 45-268; these numbers are also written in pencil but are not circled.

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English in Latin script
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Coll 6/19 'Arabia: (Saudi Arabia) Hejaz-Nejd Annual Report.' [‎62r] (124/540), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2085, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100036362870.0x00007d> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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