Coll 6/9 'Jeddah Reports Jany 1931–' [‎284r] (568/802)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
EASTERN (Arabia),
1
February 28, 1933.
CONFIDENTIAL.
Section 2.
[E 1155/902/25 ]
No. 1.
Sir A. Ryan to Sir John Simon.—(Received February 28.)
(No. 46.) ‘
Jedda, February 9, 1933.
I HA\ E the honour to transmit herewith the Jedda report for January,
prepared in accordance with the new arrangements described in my despatch
No. 38 of the 31st January.
2. Copies of the report have been sent to the posts shown in the distribution
list given at the end of the report. I propose, unless you intimate any objection,
not to reproduce this standing list each month, but to'note any alterations in the
covering despatches and to append a full list only to the first report for each year.
I have, &c.
ANDREW RYAN.
(Confidential.)
Enclosure in No. 1.
Jedda- Report for January 1933.
(First of new monthly series.)
I.—Internal Affairs.
JAN L ARY coincided almost exactly with the fast of Ramadan and the
ensuing festival—times of slackness. Ibn Saud remained at Riyadh. The
anniversary of his accession was celebrated on the 8th January, but only in Jedda,
where his son, the Viceroy, held receptions and presided at a dinner at which
the members of the Diplomatic Body were the principal guests. Fuad Bey
Hamza did not attend. He paid three short visits to Jedda and had long
conversations with Sir Andrew Ryan on the 5th and 9th January. After that
personal diplomatic discussion languished rather, but Fuad Bey dined at the
Legation on the 13th January to meet Sir George Buchanan and the Senior Naval
Officer, Red Sea Sloops, and gave a return dinner next evening.
2. There was no improvement in the financial situation. On the
15th January Abdul Hamid Bey Shadid. an emissary of the ex-Khedive, arrived
in Jedda. It was understood that he would follow up negotiations begun last
May regarding a scheme which turns on the creation of a National Bank with
privilege of issues, financial assistance to the Saudi Government and economic
concessions to be given to the ex-Khedive.
3. The Saudi forces at Sabya and Jizan, having swept down the coast
nearly to the Yemen frontier at the end of December, occupied Abu Arish and
other places in the interior in the first days of January. The Government
claimed that the rebellion was effectively at an end, though it was admitted that
certain tribal elements were still in revolt in the mountains adjoining the Yemen
and that the Idrisi had escaped. It is probable that the position in the highlands
was less rosy than the Saudi authorities represented it to be, but the situation
there remained obscure during the rest of the month. The King’s relative, Abdul
Aziz-bin-Musaid, formerly Governor of Hail, has assumed the command at Jizan.
The earlier history of the revolt is given in the report for November-December
1932, paragraphs 363 ff.
[711 ee—2]