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Coll 6/91 'Saudi Arabia. Policy of H.M.G. Qn. of credits and guarantee of assistance to Ibn Saud.' [114r] (228/680)
The record is made up of 1 file (338 folios). It was created in 24 Oct 1939-1 Jan 1945. It was written in English. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
H
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lu
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SECRET XXX ©
Allotted to Politico! Department
Cop; ~ ; Giroulate
26332'#
^6
D E 0 Y P II E R OP T E L E G R A IvU
P rom
Government
Secretory
of India, Indians
of State for India
Dated
New Delhi,
21*55 hours, 23th
Received
20*00 hours, 28th September,
ILMEDI ATE •.
7684#
t.Q
spternber, 1942
« E . t&f .. ,
/o X€e. 1 Ukf>l>ote ^ W
*\0a*> rtr\CAH ^
Co ^CUAcf .
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■ Haj pilgrimage by sea- Government of India have given
careful thought to desirability of continuing pilgrimage
arrangements and probable risks attending sea voyages, and have
regretfully reached decision that in present situation the
pilgrimage by direct sea route cannot be oemitted* They have been
chiefly moved by consideration that risk to which pilgrim ships
would be exposed during voyage was too great to be undertaken#
Although it is not possible to foresee how many enemy
surface or submarine craft may be (? operating) , it is certain that
slow and crowded pilgrim ships would h^ve to pass through a danger
area ©nd their sailings and destinations would be matters of public
knowledge incapable of concealment- Such measures as can be taken
to afford protection will not be sufficient to eliminate ‘possiMliby
of attack- Owing to difficulty in enforcing black-out in pilgrim
ships they cannot be taken in convoy with ether
vessels-
if was confirmed by C-~in~Go Eastern Fleet that only A/3
at approaches to Indian ports and in Gulf of Aden can be
in the same ocean escort, but risk to pilgrim ship would
whether escorted or not-
On enquiry
escort
provided
be present
Safety arrangements on pilgrim- ships have been
investigated# Majority of pilgrims are old*people and proportion of
v/omen amongst pilgrims rather large- No arrangements can be made
tuat would be practicable ard satisfactory in ensuring escape from
sinking ship of any but limited number of persons ovnhg to peculiar
conditions prevailing on pilgrim ships. Loss of life in case of
mishap is almost certain to be very heavy*
All sailings are subject to possible delays from necessity
to take precautions avoid hostile craft* Such delays unforeseeable
but not unlikely# Delays might cause some sailings missITaj*
Consequences of decision on public morale have been *
considered* The loss of a pilgrim ship with attendant heavy loss
of life would have worse effect than cancellation of sailings
owing to risk involved* Even missing Hoj through unforeseen delays
would nullify all propaganda value for this year but loss of ship
would be calamitous and have grave repercussions* Representative
Moslem public men consulted advise that safety of journey essential
condition of pilgrimage according to Scripture and Haj this year
should not be allowed owing to risk- Though some criticism possible
Indian Moslem opinion unlikely to oppose decision*
We
continue Haj
ippreciate desire of His Majesty* s Government to
traffic and realise decision will disappoint them and
Baudi/
About this item
- Content
This file concerns British policy towards Saudi Arabia during the Second World War (the abbreviation 'Qn' in the title stands for 'Question'). The correspondence discusses the question of providing financial or material assistance to Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd], as well as the United States' growing economic and strategic interests in Saudi Arabia.
The file features the following principal correspondents: His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Reader Bullard, Hugh Stonehewer Bird, and Stanley R Jordan successively); the Secretary of State for India (Leo Amery); the Viceroy of India (Archibald Percival Wavell); the Chancellor of the Exchequer (John Anderson); officials of the Foreign Office, the 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. , the Treasury, the Government of India's Finance and External Affairs Departments, and the United States Embassy in London.
Related matters of discussion include the following:
- The idea (initially discussed in correspondence dating from 1939) of an alliance or a bloc of Arab states (chiefly comprised of Saudi Arabia and the Yemen), which would support the Allied cause.
- The Italo-German reaction to Ibn Saud's refusal to receive German diplomat Dr Fritz Konrad Ferdinand Grobba, a decision that was applauded by the British.
- Italian influence in the Middle East.
- Anglo-French co-operation in the Middle East.
- Details of the Saudi Government's finances (i.e. expenditure and revenue) during the early war years.
- Arrangements for loans and payments from the British to the Saudi Government, as well as details of royalties and loans paid to the Saudi Government by the California Arabian Standard Oil Company (Casoc).
- Proposals for an irrigation and agricultural mission to Saudi Arabia, headed by a United States agricultural expert.
- Conversations between Ibn Saud and United States General Patrick Hurley during the latter's visit to Riyadh in May 1943.
- The Government of India's decision in 1942 not to allow pilgrim ships to sail from India to Saudi Arabia, because of a risk of the ships being attacked.
- Ibn Saud's requests in 1944 for the British Government to send to Saudi Arabia financial and military advisers, preferably Sunni Moslems [Muslims].
- The proposed appointment of Ibn Saud's requested financial adviser, which is delayed and eventually abandoned, following the United States' suggestion that the position be given to a United States adviser, because of the United States' 'preponderant interest' in the Saudi economy.
The file includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence (folio 2).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (338 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 339; 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. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 262-286; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 6/91 'Saudi Arabia. Policy of H.M.G. Qn. of credits and guarantee of assistance to Ibn Saud.' [114r] (228/680), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2163, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100046518047.0x00001f> [accessed 9 June 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2163
- Title
- Coll 6/91 'Saudi Arabia. Policy of H.M.G. Qn. of credits and guarantee of assistance to Ibn Saud.'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:36v, 39r:57v, 59r:110v, 113r:182v, 184r:189v, 191r:310r, 311v:339v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence