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Coll 6/21(2) 'Saudi Arabia: Relations with H.M.G.: Saudi Legation in London and British Minister in Jeddah. Prolongation of Treaty of Jedda.' [‎326v] (652/761)

The record is made up of 1 file (379 folios). It was created in 14 Jan 1935-12 Apr 1947. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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FUAD BEY HAMZA explained that he had not received any recent
instructions from his Government about this question, and so was not in a
position to do more than take note of what Mr. Rendel said. He suggested, how
ever, that it might be useful if he were to see the draft notes before they were
formally communicated to the Saudi Government for their concurrence.
After further discussion it was agreed that as soon as the draft notes ha^
been approved by His Majesty’s Government and the Government of Bahrein,
copies of them should be sent to Sheikh Hafiz Wahba for onward transmission
to Fuad Bey Hamza, wherever he might then be in the course of his leave. At the
same time ithe draft notes would be sent to His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires at
Jedda, who would be instructed to communicate them formally to the Saudi
Government for their concurrence, as soon as Fuad Bey Hamza had expressed his
personal agreement with the terms employed in the drafts.
III.
Mr. RENDEL next referred to the debt due from the Saudi Government to
His Majesty’s Government and the Government of India. He explained that
His Majesty’s Government had no desire to embarrass the Saudi Government by
raising this matter; but their position, too, was not easy since they were liable
to criticism in Parliament and by the Public Accounts Committee of the House
of Commons if steps were not taken with a view to liquidating the debt. His
Majesty’s Government had learned with much satisfaction of the repayment by
the Saudi Government last May of their half share of the cost of the enquiry
conducted by Mr. Macdonell in 1931 into the rival claims arising out of tribal
raids between 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 and the Hejaz and Nejd, and of their payment of
10 per cent, of the capital of the larger debt for £31,437 4.?. 6^. due on account of
arms and ammunition supplied to King Ibn Saud in 1929. His Majesty’s
Government would now be grateful to learn the intentions of the Saudi Govern
ment in regard to the repayment of the remainder of the arms debt, and he was
authorised to inform Fuad Bey that if satisfactory arrangements could be made
for the repayment of the outstanding 90 per cent, of the capital of the debt within
a reasonable period, His Majesty’s Government would be prepared to take a
sympathetic view of the question of interest on the debt.
FUAD BEY HAMZA replied that he would lodk into the matter with a
view to producing a statement of the intentions of his Government about the
repayment of the remainder of the debt.
IV.
The next matter to be touched upon was the future of the Treaty of Jedda,
and the connected questions of slavery and the traffic in arms.
Mr. RENDEL said that he was now authorised to inform Fuad Bey that
His Majesty’s Government would be prepared in principle to extend the validity
of the Treaty of Jedda for a further seven years by means of an exchange of notes,
on the lines already suggested by Fuad Bey, provided that a satisfactory settle
ment were reached on the question of slavery and the other outstanding points of
less importance.
SIR A. RYAN pointed out that in his draft exchange of notes Fuad Bey
had suggested prolonging the treaty for ten years.
Mr. RENDEL replied that he had mentioned seven years because that was
the period of validity of the original treaty. He thought that neither His
Majesty’s Government nor the Saudi Government were ready just yet to conclude
a new treaty, and, in the circumstances, he agreed with Fuad Bey that there
would be advantage in stabilising relations between their two countries by
prolonging the existing treaty for a definite term of years. As a new treaty would
probably be a subject for negotiation before very long, he thought seven years
might be a sufficient period. At the same time, there would, of course, be no
question of the treaty automatically expiring at the end of the seven years, as
it would continue to run on indefinitely, as at present, subject to denunciation
at six months’ notice.

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Content

This file, like the previous volume (IOR/L/PS/12/2087), concerns relations between the British Government and the Government of Saudi Arabia.

The file largely consists of copies of Foreign Office correspondence, mainly between His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan, Sir Reader William Bullard, Hugh Stonehewer Bird, and Stanley R Jordan successively) and officials of the Foreign Office. Other prominent correspondents include the following: the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires to Jedda (Albert Spencer Calvert, succeeded by Alan Charles Trott); His Majesty's Ambassador in Baghdad (Sir Kinahan Cornwallis); Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd]; Amir Faisal [Fayṣal bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd], Minister of Foreign Affairs for Saudi Arabia; officials of the Colonial Office and the War Office.

The correspondence documents the progression of negotiations for a general settlement between the two governments, which would result in the initial prolongation of the validity of the Treaty of Jedda (the treaty signed between Britain and Ibn Saud in 1927, which initially expired in September 1934) for a period of seven years from 1936 (and for another seven years from 1943).

In addition to discussing matters relating to the proposed general settlement (e.g. the eastern and south-eastern boundaries of Saudi Arabia, slavery regulations, arms traffic, and Saudi debts), the correspondence also documents various visits and meetings, including the following:

  • The visit of Amir Saud [Āl Sa‘ūd, Sa‘ūd bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz, heir apparent of Ibn Saud] to Britain (17 June-1 July 1935), accompanied by Fuad Bey Hamza, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs for Saudi Arabia.
  • Further meetings at the Foreign Office between Fuad Bey Hamza, Hafiz Wahba (Saudi Minister in London), Sir Andrew Ryan, George William Rendel (Head of the Foreign Office's Eastern Department), and other Foreign Office officials, in July 1935, following on from meetings in September 1934.
  • Sir Andrew Ryan's meetings with Ibn Saud in Riyadh in December 1935 and in Jedda in February 1936.
  • Four interviews held between Ibn Saud, Sir Reader William Bullard and George William Rendel, in Jedda, during March 1937.

Also discussed are matters relating to the Second World War, including:

  • An exchange of letters between Ibn Saud and the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, in early 1939, which principally relate to Ibn Saud's concerns regarding his country's security in the event of the beginning of general hostilities.
  • German radio broadcasts in Jedda during the first few weeks of the Second World War and their possible effect on the Jedda population.
  • The possibility of Iraq and Saudi Arabia formally joining the Allies in the Second World War.

In addition to correspondence the file includes the following: a copy of a programme for Amir Saud's visit to Britain (ff 339-348); exchanges of notes (in English and Arabic) between the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the British Legation at Jedda, confirming the prolongation of the Treaty of Jedda, dated 1936 and 1943 respectively (ff 189-192 and ff 4-5); a sketch map showing air routes over Saudi Arabia and Iraq (f 31v).

Although the material in this file falls inside the date range of 1935-1943, the final document in the file does include an additional date stamp which is marked '12 April 1947'.

The file includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (379 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 380; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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Coll 6/21(2) 'Saudi Arabia: Relations with H.M.G.: Saudi Legation in London and British Minister in Jeddah. Prolongation of Treaty of Jedda.' [‎326v] (652/761), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2088, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100048209026.0x000037> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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