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Coll 35/6 'Arabia: Hejaz-Nejd; wireless stations; postal and telegraph communications with the outside world' [‎285v] (570/1031)

The record is made up of 1 file (514 folios). It was created in 21 Sep 1925-17 Mar 1948. It was written in English. 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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the foreign Office. I explained that my object was to bring about an entirely
non-committal exchange of views in the hope of elucidating various questions
which had arisen. There were (a) the question of rates for telegrams passing
oyer the cable; (b) the position in regard to the Working Agreement with the
Eastern 1 eiegraph Company; and (c) the proposal that a wireless service should
be established between Hasa and the outer world.
7. Fuad Bey said that there had been many developments since tl^^
Working Agreement had been concluded in 1926, only a few months after the
establishment of the Saudi regime in the Hejaz. The situation had been greatly
affected by wireless developments. His Government were now hampered by the
monopoly given in 1926 to the Eastern Telegraph Company, as regards the
Hejaz, which then had a separate Government. They felt that the cable rates
were so heavy as to discourage traffic, which might be greatly increased if they
were lower. I hey also thought that they should be free to use wireless for the
purpose of certain external communications, e.g., with Syria and Bahrein. At
present the Saudi Government were tied to the use of the cable for Hejaz
communications. The agreed charge per word was 1 fr. 50 c. gold, but of this
only 2 £ centimes went to the Saudi Government, who were in the position of
being a joint owner of the cable, but deriving no profit from it.
8 . 1 he representatives of Cable and Wireless (Limited) pointed out that
the amount of traffic was small, but entailed as much expenditure as if it were
gi.eat. They seemed doubtful whether any reduction of the charges would
stimulate traffic sufficiently to compensate the company. As regards wireless,
they did not think that the Saudi Government realised how costly it would be to
provide stations really suitable for external communication and to keep them up
efficiently. They suggested that a cable service was much to be preferred. They
asked Fuad Bey, without commitment, what his ideas of an acceptable charge
would be.
9. Fuad Bey expressed the view that a judgment could only be formed
on a study of figures, but intimated that his personal idea of a suitable rate
would be 1 fr. per word, half to go to the Saudi Government. In reply
to a question, he thought that, if a revised agreement was made, the Saudi
! Government might be prepared to give the company greater security of tenure
u modifying the clause under which the Working Agreement can be terminated
at two years’ notice, although he thought in principle that this provision was
sound, having regard to the effect of changing conditions.
^ 10. ^ In the course of further discussion I observed that, in my opinion, the
Saudi Government could hardly expect a reduction in rates, unless they were
prepared to give either security of tenure or a guarantee of minimum traffic.
I emphasised the peculiar nature of the present traffic, which consisted to a
disproportionate extent of official telegrams. 1 rather thought that His
Majesty’s Government and the Saudi Government between them accounted for
something like 50 per cent, of the total traffic. I suggested that the discussion
had enabled each side to appreciate the point of view of the other, and might
pave the way for some agreement covering all the questions at issue.
11 . It vvas agreed that the Saudi Government and Cable and Wireless
should consider the subject further in the light of what had passed, with
a view to definite negotiations. Fuad Bey suggested that such negotiations
might conveniently take place in Jedda after my return. I said that without
wishing to impose this view on the company, I should see advantage in a
discussion at Jedda, and offered to do anything I could to facilitate it if the
company should agree to send representatives there, although the question of a
new agreement was naturally a matter for settlement on commercial lines between
the Government and the company.
^ made cleai at the close that, if negotiations for a new agreement
were undertaken, the object would be to make comprehesive arrangements in
regai d to the whole of 8 >audi Arabia, although the arrangements for particular
areas might vary. r
13. I regret that the submission of this record has been delayed by nressure
of other business. ' J ^
Foreign Office, October 1 , 1934.
A. RYAN.

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Content

The file concerns postal communications in the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd and, later, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The file covers:

  • Desire of Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] to establish wireless stations in Hejaz and Nejd, 1926-29
  • Proposed wireless communication between Riyadh and Baghdad, to be provided by the Marconi Company, 1929
  • Training of local subjects, 1931
  • Contract with the Marconi Company, 1931
  • Establishment of postal communications between Hasa [al-Aḥsā’] and foreign countries via Bahrain, 1933
  • New wireless stations in Saudi Arabia, 1933
  • Proposed establishment of wireless telecommunications between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia: negotiations between Cable and Wireless and the Saudi Government, 1934-35
  • Saudi regulations regarding importation and licensing of wireless sets, 1935
  • Proposed conference at Jedda regarding wireless communications in Saudi Arabia, 1935
  • Discussion with Governor-General of Sudan and Cables and Wireless regarding the Jedda - Port Sudan Cable agreement, 1935-40
  • Post and wireless experts required by Saudi Government, 1938
  • Communications between Saudi Arabia and the United States for use of the Arabian American Oil Company, proposed wireless station at Dhahran, 1944.

The file is composed of correspondence between: the British Legation to Jeddah; the Foreign Office; the 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. ; the High Commissioner for Iraq; the Secretary of State for the Colonies; the Air Ministry; the General Post Office in London; the Legation of Hedjaz and Nejd to London; the Political Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. at Bahrain; the Viceroy and Governor-General of India in Council; Cable and Wireless, Limited (Imperial and International Communications Limited); the Committee of Imperial Defence; the Governor-General of Sudan; the British Embassy in Cairo; the Resident Minister in Cairo; the United States Embassy in London; the British Embassy in Washington DC; Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO); and the Commonwealth Relations Office.

There is a newspaper cutting from The Times, and extracts from Um al-Qura and Sawt al-Hijaz.

Extent and format
1 file (514 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 (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 515; 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.

Written in
English in Latin script
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Coll 35/6 'Arabia: Hejaz-Nejd; wireless stations; postal and telegraph communications with the outside world' [‎285v] (570/1031), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/4109, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100060950279.0x0000ad> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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