Coll 6/19 'Arabia: (Saudi Arabia) Hejaz-Nejd Annual Report.' [‎193r] (386/540)

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142. In June the Egyptian company associated with Airwork (Ltd.)
consulted the Legation regarding a proposal to demonstrate to Ibn Baud
Avro 626, a light aeroplane suitable for training and light military duty. His
Majesty’s Government took up a discouraging attitude and the proposal was not
pursued.
..nergency Landing grounds on the Hasa Coast.
143. Following on what had passed earlier, this subject was discussed with
unsatisfactory results between Sir Andrew Ryan and Fuad Bey in January 1932,
and with more hopeful results by 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. in
the course of his conversations with the King and Sheikh Yussuf Yasin at Hufuf
towards the end of that month. Mr. Hope Gill followed up Colonel Biscoe’s
efforts in friendly conversations with Sheikh Yussuf Yasin early in May, but all
that had preceded was superseded later in that month by an exchange of views
in London during the visit of the Saudi mission. As a result of informal
discussions between Fuad Bey, Mr. Rendel and Group-Captain Peirse, it was
decided to address new proposals, more concrete and much more comprehensive
than had been made before, to the Saudi Government. It took time to elaborate
these, but on the 13th December His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires communicated
a memorandum for the King’s consideration stating, with suitable explanations,
the desiderata of His Majesty’s Government as follows :—
First. —That three emergency landing-grounds and seaplane anchorages
be provided on the Hasa coast for the use of service aircraft whenever
needed.
Second. —That the sites be selected and prepared in consultation with
experts of the Royal Air Force, and that they be visited quarterly by such
experts and maintained by the local authorities in proper condition in
accordance with the experts’ advice.
Third. —That service aircraft be permitted to fly along and over the
coast-line (but not inland) at any time.
Fourth. —That service aircraft be allowed to use these landing-grounds
and seaplane anchorages in order to give assistance to aircraft in distress.
Fifth. —That this agreement be made valid for five years and be
terminable thereafter by either Government subject to six months’ notice
being given.
144. It was intimated in the note to the Minister for Foreign Affairs
transmitting this memorandum that Llis Majesty’s Government in the United
Kingdom would be prepared to pay £1,000 a year for the facilities they required,
but that the desiderata were minimal and must be treated as a whole. It had
been decided to seek facilities for service aircraft only. The note to the Saudi
Government stated that it was most unlikely that the highly-engined aircraft
used by Imperial Airways would have to make forced landings on the coast, but
confidence was expressed that, in this improbable event, the Saudi Government
could be relied on to render all necessary succour and to allow assistance to be
sent by air.
145. The Saudi Government have at least one landing-ground already at
Jinna Island. It was known before 1932 that this had been surveyed by the chief
pilot of the Hejazi Air Force. It was reported early in February 1932 that the
landing-ground was marked out and fit for use, and that a staff of customs
clerks, complete with forms in Arabic and English, were on the spot.
Alleged Violations of Saudi Territory by British Aircraft.
146. A few further complaints under this head were received from the
Saudi Government in 1932. Some of these referred to alleged flying over the
Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan frontier and were easily disposed of. three cases of forced landings
in Hasa came to the notice of the Legation. In the first it was possible to notify
the Saudi Government the day before relief was sent, and their accommodating
reply, received after it had actually been sent, was couched in very amicable terms.
The second case was reported from Bagdad, but was not the subject of Saudi
complaint. In the third a complaint was made and investigated. No service
aircraft was involved, but an Imperial Airways machine had lost its way and
passed over Jubail.
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