Coll 6/10(2) 'Saudi-Arabian Affairs: Financial and Internal situation' [‎6r] (11/54)

King s life the presence of a crowd of idle and expensive sons must be a cause
ot serious weakness to the regime.
6. It is impossible to know whether any community of feeling is growing
up between say the Saudi tribes near Koweit and the once-turbulent population
.in Asir. Probably not. But it can be stated with certainty that there is no
^community of feeling between the Hejaz towns and Nejd. The King speaks
with a contempt which must be admitted to be well deserved of the people of
the Hejaz, anu while he claims to rule with the approval of Nejd, he cares
nothing for Hejazi approval. It is probable, however, that no ruler would be
popular in the Hejaz who did not leave to the Hejazis their traditional liberty
to exploit the pilgrims for their own advantage. The necessity to find money
to subsidise the Nejd tribes, both to induce them to refrain from raids and to
be ready to wage war for the King in case of need, has driven Ibn Baud to
raise pilgrim dues to unprecedented heights, and not only does he leave the
pilgiim little to spend in the Hejaz, but he represses the grosser forms of
extortion by which the Hejazi might still squeeze a living out of the “ respected
guests of the Holy Land. ’ The Hejazi likes to regard himself as exploited by
Nejdis, Syrians and other foreigners,’ 5 and for this view there is some justifica
tion. Whether the Hejaz, if independent, could support and defend itself is
doubtful, but the Hejazi will think of the evil from which flight at present
seems impossible rather than of the alternative ills. It would be sufficient for
a pretender to the throne to promise a lowering of pilgrim dues and to hint
at a freer hand for pilgrim guides, for him to win much popularity. As I have
suggested before, it is conceivable that Hasa and Nejd may one day be the richer
half of the peninsula, but whether that would induce the Hejaz to desire to
maintain the present connexion would depend upon the policy of the Govern
ment. Bhould Ibn Baud live long enough, and should the oil revenue increase as
it is expected to do, it would be possible for him to create for the Hejaz such
favourable conditions that even the Hejazis might realise their value. The dues
on pilgrims would be so greatly reduced that the visitors would be able once
more to spend largely in the Hejaz to the benefit of the local people, while the
menace of the desert tribes would be kept in check by subsidies paid out of the
royalties from Hasa oil. Whether such a situation, which would help towards
the unification of the peninsula, would be allowed to develop in peace, would
depend largely on the attitude of the northern neighbours of Saudi Arabia, and
at present there is little evidence that the rulers of Iraq and 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 wish to
see a strong, united and independent State on their southern borders.
7. I am forwarding copies of this despatch to His Majesty’s Ambassadors
at Cairo and Bagdad, to his Excellency the High Commissioner for Palestine
and to the Middle East Intelligence Centre.
I have, &c.
It. W. BULLARD.