Coll 6/9 'Jeddah Reports Jany 1931–' [‎175v] (351/802)

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As Saqqaf who has been variously mentioned as Japanese representative at Sana
and more recently (paragraph 316 of the last report) as having een appom
Japanese consul in Saudi Arabia. The identification is, however, mos uncer am.
19. The same Umm-al-Qura of the 11th January recorded a meeting ot
Saudi and Iraqi representatives to discuss frontier questions at Kamadni. is
announcement seems to relate to a meeting known from other sources to ha/ve
followed soon after the Palmyra Conference (paragraph 249 of the report lor
20. ^ The position regarding the Nejif-Medina motor route is described in
paragraph 13 above. In the conversation there mentioned, the Iraqi Charge
d’Affaires stated that the present relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq were
in the main good, and much better than they were some little time ago.
21 The Umm-al-Qura of the 11th January announced a projected meeting
at Dhat-al-Hai in Saudi Arabia between the Officer Commanding, Desert Patrol
in 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 , and the Amir of lebuk. A similar meeting took place in
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 territory in June 1934, but the Legation in Jedda has not heard of
the further meeting from any other source.
III .—Relations with Powers outside Arabia.
22. His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom definitely approved
in Januarv of the proposal, which had emerged from the conversations with
Fuad Bey Hamza in London last September, that an attempt should be made to
arrive at a comprehensive settlement of all major questions outstanding between
them and the Saudi Government on the basis that His Majesty’s Government
would be prepared to consider making some concession in regard to Ibn Saud s
eastern and south-eastern frontiers, without too much regard to strict legal
considerations, if other questions could be settled satisfactorily. Important
instructions were issued to Sir Andrew Ryan on the 17th January, and he had
long conversations with Fuad Bey on the 20th and 21st January. He enquired
definitely whether the Saudi Government were on their side prepared for the
attempt at a comprehensive settlement, and whether they would produce a more
positive statement of the King’s desiderata regarding his eastern and south
eastern frontiers than they have hitherto done. Fuad Bey approached the latter
subject, rather startlingly, in the private part of the conversation, from the
point of view that His Majesty’s Government had promised to recognise the
independence of Arabs, and that this should be applied in the case of Ibn Saud’s
neighbours in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . He reserved his official reply to both
Sir Andrew Ryan’s questions. He intimated officially that the King was now
more favourably disposed towards the British proposal that the Bahrein transit
question should be examined in the first instance by a local conference, but would
like to have a list of suggested agenda. He invited His Majesty’s Government
to formulate proposals for a settlement between Ibn Saud and Koweit. His
Majesty’s Government are still considering these and various other matters
which would or might come into the proposed negotiations (see paragraph 311 of
the last report and previous reports passim).
23. The supplies for the Government dispensaries (paragraph 312 of the
report for December) were cleared from customs without difficulty in January,
and the Mecca branch was opened without incident on the 12th January, though
on receiving an unofficial intimation that this would be done, the Saudi Govern
ment showed extreme anxiety to safeguard their position in the proposed
discussions with Fuad Bey on the whole subject. These have not yet begun.
24. Several missions in Jedda are greatly concerned over the questions of
real property and nationality (see paragraph 6 (a) and (b) above), especially
those principally interested in persons now their nationals who were formerly
Ottoman subjects and had therefore a clear legal right to acquire real property
in the Hejaz, when persons, who were already aliens, could do so only by a
tolerance in favour of such as were Moslems. The French Charge, acting on
behalf of Syrians, and the Turkish and Iraqi representatives are all in the
same boat.
25. No official announcement has yet been made regarding the conversion of
the French consulate into a Legation or the promotion of the present Charge
d’Affaires (paragraph 313 of the last report). M. Maigret left for Hodeida,