Coll 6/19 'Arabia: (Saudi Arabia) Hejaz-Nejd Annual Report.' [‎123r] (246/540)

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mention may be made of a report from His Majesty's Ambassador at Bagdad
dated the 6th November, recording information to the effect that five vacancies
were being reserved for Saudi cadets in the Iraqi military college, but that it
was not certain that they would be filled. Nothing of this has been heard
otherwise in Jedda, although the local press referred to the main subject of
Sir A. Clerk Kerr’s despatch, viz., the arrangements made for the training of
Yemeni officers in Iraq, and has since mentioned a report that the King of the
Yemen had asked the Iraqi Government to provide five retired officers and ten
instructors for employment in the Yemen.
185. No important addition is known to have been made to the armament
of Saudi Arabia in 1935, but the Government are probably considering the matter
as samples are known to have been submitted by various firms. Two machine guns,
believed to come from Czechoslovakia, were imported for demonstration purposes
in May. Other samples of arms were submitted by the Steyr Solothurn A.G. of
Zurich and Messrs. Unceta and Co. of Guernica in Spain. Vaguer and
not very reliable information has come to hand regarding intermediaries who
may be concerned in armament transactions. An account has been given in
paragraph 83 of the most important development, that of the Italian offer of
arms, &c., to the Saudi Government.
186. There is nothing to add to the report for 1934 regarding the insigni
ficant but not valueless naval forces of Saudi Arabia. As stated in paragraph 168
above, the one vessel of the Arabian Steam Navigation Company has been used
for military transport.
VI. —Aviation and Connected Matters.
Saudi Air Force.
187. The main base of the Saudi air force was transferred to Taif early
in the year and from February on the aircraft were seen only occasionally in
Jedda. There was no change iii regard to the small number of available aircraft,
consisting of two usable Wapitis and a possible third; nor in the general
character of the personnel, although it cannot be said with certainty that the
composition of the White Russian party remained exactly the same. A good
sized aerodrome is stated to have been provided at Taif but it is probably as
elementary as those which exist at Jedda, Yanbu and Wejh and at one or tw r o
places on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. coast.
188. The most important development of the year was the despatch to Italy
of the ten students mentioned in paragraph 76. The first party were seen off
from Mecca with much clapping and floral tributes. The opinion formed of them
in Italy has already been described. Ibn Baud himself expressed a very low
opinion of their progress in conversation with Captain de Gaury in July. He
was prepared to have to wait some considerable time before they could be made
efficient, but he spoke of eventually using the two best of them to run a weekly
air mail between the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and the Red bea, via Riyadh and laif. Early
in 1936 the Saudi Government were said to be contemplating the purchase of two
new aeroplanes, presumably for this purpose, but not to have decided on the make.
189. The decision to send students to Italy was accompanied by a spirited
attempt to revive the “Arab Aeronautical Society, a private association with
strong official backing, founded in or about 1931.’ Nothing had been heard of
this since early in 1932 and little has been heard of it since the pilgrimage season
of 1935, in the course of which certain important pilgrims were among the
contributors to its funds.
Other Aviation.
190. One of the events of the year was the despatch from Cairo to Jedda,
by arrangement with the Saudi Government, of a R.A.F. Victoria to convey His
Majesty’s Minister to Egypt in June, so that he should reach London in time for
the Amir Sand’s visit. No other foreign aeroplanes visited the Hejaz, but one
of Talaat Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Harb’s dearest schemes (see paragraph 160) is to organise air
services for pilgrims, beginning with a service between Jedda and Medina. The
California Arabian Standard Oil Company have an aeroplane in Hasa for survey