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Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎251v] (507/1062)

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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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90
<> He had been stung, I think, into unwonted frankness by trouble over
the Marconi contract. Trouble over the effective range of the wireless tele-
nhonv is still to oome-; the present friction centring round the refusal of the
Heiazi Government to take over the four mobile sets and their failure to pay
three of the monthly instalments of £1,000 each Mr. Philby was con- ^
templating drastic measures, such as sending Mr. Boucicault out of the
country He was only deterred by the fact that all the material has arrived
and is in Hejazi hands, and by the fear that they would begin monkeying
with it themselves. ^
3 He led the conversation on to financial matters in general and Ibn
Sand’s incompetence in particular. While the pilgrim hosts were stoning
the devil at Muna, the King held meeting after meeting to discuss the prob
lem of the nickel exchange. Mr. Philby attended them, silent but increas
ingly indignant. After much talk one day, it must have been the 30th
April, the King ordained that the Saudi piastre should henceforth stand at
44 to the rial; its par value was 22, but it had dropped into the 50’s; every
one applauded the King’s wisdom and his fiat went forth. On the next
day, after much further talk, the King decided that the piastre should sta id
at'22 and accepted equal applause from the same advisers. Mr. Philby
was furious, but waited until the King had left to tell the sycophants what
he thought of them. On the following day the King, whose ears are long,
chaffed him beyond endurance. After a heated discussion, Mr. Philby was
sent out into the streets with a gold sovereign and a silver rialdn his hand
and told to prove his assertion that, whatever His Majesty might ordain,
not one of his subjects would sell a silver rial for 22 pieces of nickel. In
vain he pointed out to the King that what he wanted for this purpose was
only a handful of nickel. Ibn Sand, he maintains, simply could not under
stand so simple a monetary point. He left in disgust at the ignorance of
Ibn Sand and the suppleness of his advisers, and has but rarely seen the
King since then. The incident may well have been distorted by Mr. Philby,
but there is probably enough truth in it to make it interesting. Its rela
tion is certainly illuminating.
t
4. Mr. Philby was not less cynical about the impossibility of obtaining
banking facilities for this country, though rather more guarded. It had
been understood that he was interested in Lutfullah’s Bank to the extent of
urging its advantages on Ibn Sand (see paragraph 7 of Sir A. Ryan’s des
patch No. 177 of the 15th May) [S. No. (67)]. He now holds Lutfullah
up to ridicule as that inordinately vain individual who, in King Hussein’s
day, had himself named his Ambassador at Rome and paid for the privilege
not only his own salary, but those of an imposing suite. Mr. Philby has
even stated that the banker is now bankrupt. His attitude seems to be one
of general disillusionment. The King has feet of mnd. The country, to
National Conference, has ruled out anyhing in the nature of a State Bank.
So much the worse for Lutfullah.
5, Mr. Philby also spoke of the benzine contract, to which Sir A. Ryan
referred in paragraph 7 of his despatch No. 280 of the 12th July (Enelo. to
S. No, (80)] He affirmed that, after threatening to close down his Lega
tion and to have himself withdrawn, the Russian Minister had at length
succeeded in securing the contract but nothing more, that is nothing in the
nature of more favourable terms for the entry of Russian goods. The
Hejazi Government had agreed to buy 50,000 cases of benzine at L50 dollars
a case, to be paid for in three instalments at three-month intervals beginning
three months after delivery. This agreement will enable the Hejazi Govern
ment to ensure something over a half-year’s supply of their fuel needs. It
is almost certain that no business house could afford to supply on these
terms, unless at a deliberate loss. *
* Ext. place 1 on F.-146-N./30. re. wireless in the Eejax.

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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.' [‎251v] (507/1062), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2071, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100061765165.0x00006c> [accessed 10 June 2026]

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