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Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎163r] (330/1062)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (527 folios). It was created in 6 Jan 1929-15 Jan 1938. It was written in English and French. 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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4. In the meantime, the sea-water ~ .
to supply the town with drinking- water of a land’ T, , !ni !’ , c<>ntilllles
per minute, and the English engineer in oWp ° f ab ° Ut 8i § ' allons
in demand for his product in spite of its greater costo^accounfol the'tck of
conhdence m Wazmya water on the part of those who are aWe to afford the
5. A copy of this despatch is beiny sent to the Prinmnnl ,
for Foreign Affairs and to the Department of Overseas Trade. taiy 01 State
(47)
(Received on 4th Novevmber 1933, vtith Political Secretary’s letter No 42 dated
19th October 1933.) " ’
Enclosure in Foreign Office covering letter dated 13th October 1933.
v were the main points of interest in a general conversation
which I had with Mr. Philby yesterday afternoon. As I have reported from
Jedda Mr. Philby now-a-days speaks to me pretty freely. I told him that 1 marl,,
use of what he told me for the information of His Majesty’s Government but
that, subject to this, he could always rely on me to respect his confidence and
avoid compromising him.
State Bank.
Mr. Philby spoke of the breach between the e^r-Khedive and Shadid of
whom he (Mr. Philby) now has a very poor opinion, though he was °'reatlv
impressed by him in Jedda. He considered it clear that Shadid had misrepre
sented to the Saudi Government in the spring his position vis-a-vis of the ex-
Khedive, from whom he pretended to have received full powers to treat and
conclude an agreement. After getting the contract, he had avoided meeting
Abbas Hilmi. He had embarrassed the latter more particularly by getting
the Saudi Government to make out drafts in his own (Shadid’s) favour to cover
their share in certain expenses and by evading a request from the e^-Khedive
to hand them over. The amount was not great but it was a dirty business, as
Abbas Hilmi was morally responsible to the Saudi Government. According to
Mr. Philby the ea;-Khedive, with whom and whose entourage he has been in touch,
wants to behave honourably, but is not keen on the bank affair, which would
only attract him, if he could get British financial backing. Everybody con
cerned appears to consider that Shadid’s arrangement with the Saudi Govern
ment was impossible. Mr. Philby has outlined in the Khedivial circle
(apparently without any mandate from the Saudi Government) his ideas of
a workable contract, providing for a much smaller capital and a loan of say,
£stg.l00,000 instead of one of £gold 200,000.
This record of a friendly conversation over the tea-table may not be exact
in every particular, but it represents with sufficient accuracy the main lines of
what Mr. Philby told me.
(48)
(Received on 12th November 1933, with Political Secretary’s letter No. 43, dated
26th October 1933.)
Enclosure in Foreign Office covering letter No. E.-5923|234(25, dated 18th
October 1933.
The following were the main points of interest in a general conversation
which I had with Mr. Philby yesterday'afternoon. As I have reported from
Jedda Mr. Philby now-a-days speaks to me pretty freely. I told him that I
made use of what he told me for the information of His Majesty’s Government
but that, subject to this, he could always rely on me to respect his confidence
and avoid compromising him. i
Saudi Financial Situation.
Mr. Philby expressed disappointment that, the Saudi Government
alleging their preoccupation with the Yemeni danger 1 , seemed indis
posed to use any part of the money received from Standard Oil of
California to effect part payment of their debts, the outstanding
balance of which he estimates at something like £150,000 gold, including the
debts in which he is interested (Marconi, Standard Oil of New York, Sharqieh,

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Content

This volume compiles printed copies of letters, telegrams, memoranda and newspaper extracts relating to Britain's involvement across the Arabian Peninsula during the period 1929-1938. Whilst the correspondence encompasses all matters concerning British interests in the region, much of it relates to Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd] and the Kingdom of the Hejaz and Nejd (later Saudi Arabia). Matters discussed in the correspondence include the following:

  • Reports of unrest in the Hejaz.
  • Relations between Imam Yeha Hamid-Ud-Din [Yaḥyá Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn, Imam of Yemen] and Ibn Saud.
  • Reports of raids and arms trafficking on the 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 -Nejd frontier.
  • Reports of the proceedings of British naval ships in the Red Sea.
  • Details of the Akhwan [Ikhwan] revolt against Ibn Saud, including the movements of one of the revolt's leaders, Faisal Dawish [Fayṣal bin Sulṭān al-Dawīsh], and his surrender to the British in Kuwait.
  • Relations between Kuwait and Nejd.
  • Relations between Iraq and Nejd, including a proposed meeting between Ibn Saud and King Faisal [Fayṣal] of Iraq, and reports of a treaty of alliance between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
  • Objections from the Hejaz Government to Royal Air Force aircraft flying over Nejd territory.
  • The purchase of arms by the Hejaz Government from Poland.
  • Ibn Saud's annexation of Asir.
  • The death of King Hussein [Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī].
  • Harry St John Bridger Philby's conversion to Islam, his mapping of Rub-al-Khali, and his reported spreading of Saudi propaganda in the Aden Protectorate.
  • The currency exchange crisis in the Hejaz-Nejd and the financial situation in the kingdom generally.
  • Reports on a survey of the water and mineral content of the Hejaz coastal area.
  • Relations between Soviet Russia and Saudi Arabia.
  • The emigration of Jews from Yemen to Palestine, via Aden.
  • British fears that Italy might harbour ambitions to annex Yemen.
  • Saudi oil concessions.
  • Italian-Saudi relations.

Prominent correspondents include the following: the British Agent (later His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires) at Jeddah; His Majesty's Minister at Jeddah; the High Commissioner for Egypt; the High Commissioner for Iraq; the High Commissioner for 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 ; the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Kuwait; the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. (later Chief Commissioner, and later still, Governor), Aden; the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; His Majesty's Ambassador to Iraq; His Majesty's Ambassador to Italy; the Secretary of State for the Colonies; the Minister (and Acting Minister) for Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of the Hejaz and Nejd (later Saudi Arabia); Ibn Saud; King Feisal of Iraq; the Prime Minister of Iraq; various officials of the Colonial Office, the Foreign Office, the Air Ministry, and the Admiralty.

The French material in the volume consists of several items of correspondence and a copy of a treaty between France and Yemen, which was signed in April 1936.

The volume includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the volume by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 volume (527 folios)
Arrangement

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

The items of correspondence are divided (roughly) into various sections. Each extract or item of correspondence within these sections has its own number, which is enclosed in brackets. These numbers proceed in ascending (and approximate chronological) order from left to right; however, the sections themselves proceed in reverse, from the rear to the front of the volume, in distinct groups (e.g. for 1929 numbers 1-23, which are located at folios 517-526, are followed by numbers 24-49 at folios 509-516, which are then followed by numbers 50-89 at folios 494-508, and so on).

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 529; 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.

Pagination: each section of correspondence within the volume (as described in the arrangement field) has its own pagination sequence.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎163r] (330/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2071, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100061765164.0x000083> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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