PZ 1115/1938 'Col. Dickson's visit to Riyadh and conversations with Ibn Saud.' [‎10v] (20/96)

1934 the Saudi Government approached H.M.G. and the
French Government with a suggestion that a further
Conference should be held to discuss technical questions
connected with the re-conditioning of the railway
leaving on one side, by simple reservat_i_qn_ , any que stion
regarding the ownershi p jojr ^c hara cter of the railway.
This invitation was accepted with the reservation
referred to and the Conference duly met at Haifa in
October 1935 to consider the following points:-
(l) Examination of the degree of reconditioning
which the railway requires;
(°.) Preparation of an estimate of the cost of the
necessary work;
(3) Establishment of the manner in which the
necessary expense is to be met;
(4) Consideration of a project for the organisation
of a train service along the whole length of
the railway;
(5) Consideration of a project for the eventual
distribution of rolling stock among the
different sections of the line.
A summary of the conclusions is given in the
attached note.
As will be seen, points (l), (2), (4) and (5) were
satisfactorily settled but no agreement was reached in
regard to the method for meeting the expense necessary
for reconditioning the Hejaz section of the line.
Failure to reach agreement on this important point has
left matters in suspense and it appears probable that
the only possible way of raising the money to finance
the rebuilding of the Hejaz section is that H.M.G.
should provide it. The question whether there is a
case, on general political grounds, for H.M.G. undertaking
to pay part or the whole of the cost of rebuilding was
referred to the Minister at Jedda for his observations
last year, ^nd his views, which are summarised below,
/
^re contained in the Jedda Despatch No.20 of the 10th
/
February/
C
copy attached