'File 11/44 Leading Personalities in Iraq, Iran & Saudi Arabia' [‎43r] (85/96)

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now the real financiers of Sa’udi Arabia, and no
money transaction ever now takes place without
the Kaakis being directly concerned. They owe their
present position first to Najib Salha (q-v.), the venal
right hand man of Abdullah Suleyman and
former Director of Public Works, and to Abdullah
Suleyman himself. While His Majesty’s Govern
ment were paying an annual subsidy to Ibn Sa’ud
the Kaakis made money at will. A high pro
portion of the subsidy goods that came into the
country were dealt with by this family, and through
their machinations and those of Najib and of
Abdullah Suleyman much of the gold presented by
His Majesty’s Government eventually found its way
into the coffers of one or other of the various
Kaaki firms. In 1944 Sadaka and Siraj Kaaki. the
most important combination, were discovered in an
attempt to smuggle f.gold 25,000 to Egypt. This
money was confiscated and there were rumours of
dire reprisals on the law-breakers. These however
gradually faded into the background and when Ibn
Sa’ud arrived in Jedda after meeting King Farouq
at Yenbo. Sadaka and Siraj Kaaki petitioned His
Majesty on the grounds that they did not know that
they were doing wrong and the King, fresh from
his successful entertainment of King Farouq,
pardoned the Kaakis and returned them the money.
It is certain that Abdullah Suleyman arranged this,
Sadaka and Siraj having advanced the money by
^hich Ibn Sa’ud was able so royally to entertain
^Ang Farouq. A rough estimate of the family
fortune is about £.gold 300,000 of which Sadaka and
Siraj have, at the very least, £.gold 175,000, besides
valuable property in Mecca. In April 1945 they
started to interest themselves in real estate and
began by purchasing from the Minister of Finance,
Abdullah Suleyman, the Banque Misr Hotel and
several other buildings in Mecca. The Banque Misr
building alone cost £.gold 30,000.
The most important members of this family are:
(1) Sadaka Kaaki and
(2) Siraj Kaaki. —Brothers, these two are partners
in the most lucrative business in the country. They
are the Government brokers and are represented in
every town in the Hejaz and the Nejd with the
exception of Medina where the financial activities of
Sheikh Mohammed-al-Khuraiji are protected by his
son-in-law, Sheikh Abdullah Suleyman. The firm
of S. & S. Kaaki is by far the most important
of the Kaaki firms. Its 1940 capital was about
^fcgold 10,000—and is now at least £.gold 175,000.
^k\See also remarks above.)
(3) Abdul Aziz Kaaki. —A money changer in Jedda
who also owns a bakery business. Abdul Aziz’s
pre-war worth was about T.gold 2,000—and now he
can boast of something like £.gold 20,000. He also
partners his tw'o uncles (see 4 and 5) in another
firm of money changers in Jedda and Mecca, the
capital of this being separate from the figure
£.gold 20,000—mentioned above.
(4) Salah Moussa Kaaki and
(5) Abdullah Moussa Kaaki. —These two are
brothers, and uncles, it is believed, of (1), (2) and (3)
above. Before the war they were the most affluent
of the Kaaki family and flourished in Mecca with a
capital of something like £.gold 15,000. Their
present capital exceeds £.gold 60,000—and from
their partnership with Abdul Aziz Kaaki ((3) above)
they have a share of a business which hardly existed
before the war but is now worth £.gold 15,000.
37. Khdlid Al Qarqani (alias Al Hud, alias
Abu’l Walid).
A Tripolitan, who is said to have served under the
Senusi, fought the Italians and retired into exile
in Egypt, where he has a daughter married to
Abdur-Rahman ’Azzam Bey, formerly a desert
fighter in the Senusi cause, former Egyptian Minister
to Iraq and Sa’udi Arabia and now Secretary-
General of the Arab League. Al Qarqani was brought
to Ibn Sa’ud s notice, it is said, by Sheikh Hafiz
Wahba, and came to the Hejaz in 1930. Was
appointed in September 1930 First Assistant to the
Viceroy, but apparently soon vacated the post and
went into business with the German merchant,
afterwards honorary German Consul, de Haas. W as
re-employed by the Government to accompany the
American engineer Twitchell on his tours of survey
for water and minerals. W as sent with Hamad
Suleyman {q-v.) to Asir in November 1932 to
investigate the dispute between the Idrisi and Ibn
Sa’ud’s Governor. This mission could not be
accomplished by the two delegates, who, in the
following year, with Turki al Madhi, formed an
equally unsuccessful delegation to Sana before the
outbreak of the Sa’udi-Yemen war. Was a Sa udi
delegate to the Bahrein Transit Dues and Koweit
Blockade Conferences of 1935. Was also a Sa’udi
representative at the negotiations over the Red Sea
oil concession with Petroleum Concessions (Limited)
(added in 1939). Acted as buyer for certain German
goods for the Sa’udi Government. In 1938 was found
to be on the staff of Amir Sa’ud, but later in the
year officially appointed to that of Ibn Sa’ud. Said
to have a large salary. Seems to be a trusted adviser,
and said to be honest in negotiation, though
not necessarily scrupulous in financial matters.
Accompanied Dr. Mahmud Hammuda to London
and Paris in 1939 in connexion with the proposed
amendment of the Sanitary Convention. A isited
Germany in 1939 before the outbreak of war on a
mission to purchase arms for Sa’udi Arabia. Had
an interview with Hitler, but was otherwise unsuc
cessful. Has a slight impediment in his speech.
Speaks French and Turkish and perhaps Italian.
Claims to have travelled a good deal in Europe,
including Russia, and is regarded by Ibn Sa’ud as
an expert on European affairs. An interesting talker
but can be waspish. Said by some people to be anti-
British but is probably only rather sourly pro-Arab.
Is now in poor health (1943). Attempts by His
Majesty’s Legation to obtain permission for Khalid
(who has been given only tw r o years to live by his
doctors) to settle in Egypt with his family have so
far (June 1945) proved unsuccessful, but he paid a
short visit to Cairo in the winter of 1945. In 1947
w r as hale and hearty at Riyadh.
38. Muhammad ibn 'Abdul 'Aziz ibn
Mddhi.
A Nejdi, formerly Governor of Jizan. Transferred
about 1940 to be Governor of Al Khobar, which post
he now holds. Speaks nothing but Arabic and that
with a strong Nejdi accent. Comes much into
contact with the Americans of the Arabian American
Oil Company at Dhahran and was lavish in his
hospitality to His Majesty’s Minister when he visited
Dhahran in March 1942. Earned the gratitude of
the Royal Air Force for his help when one of their
aircraft forcelanded on Tarut Island in January 1942.
A younger brother is Governor of the towm of Al-
Qatif, and another brother, ’Abdul ’Aziz ibn Madhi,
is Governor of Dhiba.
39. Mehdi Bey.
Director-General of Police, with headquarters in
Mecca, for several years, but in 1938 was made
Director-General of Public Security, though no
change in his functions was announced or observed.
An ’Iraqi, wdio has, however, lived little in ’Iraq.
Said to have been a regimental clerk in the Turkish
army, in which a brother of his is still an officer.
Was employed also in King Huseyn’s army. He
appears to be arbitrary and ruthless and to wield
considerable authority. A man of organising ability,
and the Mecca orphanage, which is under his charge,
has been declared by a competent Indian witness
to be the best-organised concern in Sa’udi Arabia.
In 1938, when he had extended the system of regular