Coll 6/19 'Arabia: (Saudi Arabia) Hejaz-Nejd Annual Report.' [‎145r] (290/540)

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24th March. The manager was a high official of the Ministry of Finance. This
gentleman’s father was the slave of a family which formerly had a hide-exporting
business, and eventually their chief business man. The son 1ms a finger in many
pies, but little has been heard of the new export company since its formation.
There is so very little to export.
156. The most interesting commercial event of the year was the conclusion
of a new agreement between the Government and Sharqieh (Limited) regarding
the importation of motor cars, &c., to replace the agreement described in the
report for 1933, which had proved for the most part unworkable. The new
agreement was signed on the 1st August. In principle it bore a considerable
resemblance to the previous contract, but the conditions accepted by the company
were in several respects less onerous and the terms of payment provided were much
more favourable to it, as 25 per cent, was to be paid in cash before delivery in the
case of cars for the Government, and 50 per cent, cash in respect of those supplied
to transport companies. The importation of private cars was left unrestricted,
but as the Government and the transport companies are the principal buyers, the
monopoly in favour of Ford vehicles, except for certain special requirements, has
had a considerable adverse effect on the outside importing market. Ford lorries
were coming in right merrily at the end of the year.
157. References to the trade from various countries will be found in the
earlier section of the report dealing with foreign relations.
V.—Military and Naval Organisation.
158. The Saudi-Yemen war showed how completely Ibn Saud is still
dependent on tribal levies and the so-called townsmen (see paragraph 145 of the
last report) for use in war. Even the Ikhwan, who must be regarded merely as a
modified form of tribal forces, were little heard of as such, whether because their
organisation has tended to lose its intended character of tribesmen settled on the
land, or because it was not wished to strike the religious note implied in the use
of their name. It is not possible to estimate the number of men at the front during
the war, but it was perhaps something in the neighbourhood of 35,000.
159. The Minister of Finance was in September given the additional, and
apparently newly created, post of Deputy Minister of Defence. As Sheikh
Abdullah Suleyman was already the principal official concerned in all questions
of supplies, &c., this made little effective change, but it coincided with some
attempt to pursue the scheme for a regular army. That army still plays no
important role, although there are certain forces in Mecca, a few in Jedda and
perhaps a few elsewhere. In November, however, two announcements were made.
The first stated that a military school for cadets would be opened at Mecca in
January and invited applications from Saudi subjects between 18 and 22 years
of age to undergo a three years’ course, after which they might hope to pass out
with the rank of second lieutenant. The other announcement invited applications
from young men of the same age prepared to serve as soldiers for not less than
three years. These were promised food and, with unintended irony, pay “ just
as other Government officials.” A Syrian ex-officer, Murad Bey A1 Ikhtiyar, who
had recently come to the country, was selected for the post of head of the military
school.
160. No great addition appears to have been made to the armament of the
Saudi forces, but mention is made in paragraph 154 above of two known cases of
the importation of arms, &c., from abroad. It has already been noted that a
proposed deal with Poland for the supply of further arms, &c., did not come off.
Increased use was made of motor lorries for military transport. They played an
important part in the organisation of the forces employed in the Saudi-Yemen
war.
161. No increase was made in the modest naval forces of the Saudi Govern
ment, but the craft mentioned in paragraph 147 of the report for 1933 proved
extremely useful during the war and plied frequently between Jedda and the
southern ports. The two small steamers mentioned in paragraph 149 of this
report may be regarded as ancillary to “the fleet ” as, while they are owned by a
technically private company, they have been and would always be available for
Government purposes.