Coll 6/19 'Arabia: (Saudi Arabia) Hejaz-Nejd Annual Report.' [‎224v] (449/540)

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to Muweila, and of exploiting the same metal by the use of modern methods at
places 20 odd miles to the south-east of Wejh, in one at least of which the remains
of old workings existed. He had noted with pleasure the prospects of petroleum
in a long strip of land'varying from 2 to 15 kilom. in depth, stretching from
Umm Lajj to Muweila, and suggested further research in that region to the
north and south of it and on both sides of Yambo.
148. Mr. Twitched revisited Jedda about the end of June and arranged
with the Director-General of Finance for the engagement of six experts, of whom
he was to be the head. He then went to the United States to recruit this staff
and to buy machinery. He returned on the 19th October with one assistant only
and one windmill. In the interval there had been other discoveries of gold. The
position at the end of the year was that the windmill had been erected at the
Waziriya wells, some 10 miles from Jedda, and steps were being taken to repair
a disused Turkish conduit connecting those wells with the town; Mr. Twitchell’s
assistant was at work in one of the potential gold areas somewhere in the Taif
district, and Mr. Twitched himself had been summoned to Nejd, with a view,
apparently, to his investigating possibilities on the Hasa Coast.
149. Mr. 1 witched may be said, without detracting from the value of his
work, to have brought existing knowledge up to date rather than to have made
any startling new discoveries. It is certain that the resources of the Hejaz in
water, though limited, might be put to better use than they are at present. The
expeditions in search of gold, conducted by the late Sir R. F. Burton under the
auspices of the Egyptian Government in 1877, led to no practical results.
Mr Twitched probably covered a somewhat different area, and it is possible that
modern methods might make the exploitation more profitable now than it seemed
likely to be half a century ago. Petroleum also was previously known, and
Mr. Twitched does not appear to have done more than indicate the lines on which
the possibility of its commercial exploitation in the Northern Heiaz might be
further explored.
150. It may be noted incidentally that Mr. Crane’s promptitude in
producing Mr. Twitched led to the abandonment by the Hejazi Government of
another plan which had taken definite shape in May, that of engaging a Swedish
geological mission to prospect for oil, and perhaps other minerals. The Swedish
Government were prepared to provide a mission, subject to certain conditions
ln - l 6 ®? 01186 a request addressed to them, but the request was subsequently
withdrawn with an intimation that the task had been entrusted to an American
151. Mineral developments in Hejaz-Nejd might prove to be of interest to
British enterprise. Mr. Philby stated in June that the King had told him in a
moment of expansion that he would grant a concession for ad the minerals in
the country to anyone who could give him a million pounds. He received a
favourable reply to an enquiry as to whether this meant business, in which case
something practical might be arranged without plunging into millions He then
enlisted the interest of Midian (Limited), a company of old standing which
seems to have amalgamated with his own Sharqieh (Limited) in 1926, though it
still carries on business under its own name. Midian (Limited) is a small concern
with a nominal capital of £32,500 and an issued capital of £16 908 15s They
were m negotiation with the Ottoman Government before the war for a mining
concession m Palestine and the Hejaz, but have never been able to prove that
they obtained it. At a later date they thought of approaching King Hussein
Except for any influence that Mr. Philby may still have, their prospects of doing
ig business m the Hejaz seem to be small. The odds would appear to be on
Mr. Twitched s American friends, unless they prefer to confine themselves to
selling windmills and other plant.
152. In contrast with the great expectations raised by Mr. Twitched’s
fn P iom tlOI T’j. th Tn 1S hUle t0 reCOrc } in the way of actual econ omic development
in 1931. The following paragraphs sum up the available information very
A cjriculture.
153. There is no evidence of
Hejaz. No information is available
any important agricultural progress in the
regarding Nejd. The position in regard to