'File 11/44 Leading Personalities in Iraq, Iran & Saudi Arabia' [‎39r] (77/96)

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He spent some time in England on his way back
from San Francisco in August 1945 undergoing
treatment for severe gastric ulcers and alternating
dignified appearances at the Dorchester Hotel with
the entertainment at a country house near Dorking,
on strictly non-Wahhabi lines, of the more dubious
disjecta of Mayfair. After a brief visit to Saudi
Arabia, he returned to England in November 1945
until late February 1946 and now appears to have
recovered from his ulcer trouble.
Represented Saudi Arabia at the London Confer
ence on Palestine, October 1946. At the end of the
year visited Amman as the guest of King Abdullah.
His Majesty’s Government had hoped and suggested
that the opportunity might be taken for a friendly
discussion of the Saudi- 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 frontier ques
tion, but in the event no politics were discussed.
In 1947 represented Saudi Arabia at U.N.O.
meetings in the United States. Is tending
increasingly to spend long periods in the United
States—possibly in order to see as much as possible
of a Californian girl for whom he is said to have
fallen.
(4) Muhammad ibn ’Abdul-’Aziz. —Born in or
about 1913. Headed the Sa’iidi forces which entered
Medina in 1925. Was made acting Viceroy when
the Amir Faysal went abroad in 1932, but got beyond
himself and was replaced by his brother Khalid.
let Faysal at Kuwait on his return and shared in
bout of dissipation there. Visited the United
.Kingdom with the Amir Sa’ud in 1937 and 1938.
Lives mostly at Riyadh, visiting the Hejaz only for
the pilgrimage. Said to be popular with the tribes.
Appears to be being brought gradually into his
father’s counsels; was present, together with the
Amir Sa’ud, at several interviews between His
Majesty’s Minister and the King at Riyadh in March
1942. Visited India for health reasons in June 1943
together with Mansur No. 1 (9) and Shaikh Abdullah
Suleiman (No. 11). Owing to their indiscreet and
extravagant living their visit was not a success.
Returned in October 1943. Accompanied his father
to Egypt for the meetings with President Roosevelt
and Mr. Churchill in February 1945. He, together
with two other joy-riding princes (Fahad and
Nawwaf—see list of sons below), accompanied the
Sa’udi delegation to the San Francisco Conference in
April 1945.
(5) Khalid ibn ’Abdul-’Aziz. —Born in or about
1916. Acted as Viceroy of the Hejaz in 1932 (see (4)
^pove). Visited the United Kingdom with the Amir
Faisal in 1939. Full brother and constant companion
of Amir Muhammad (4) above. Accompanied his
brother Faysal when they visited America and
England in the winter of 1943.
(6) to (27). Sons of 20 and less in 1939 numbered
twenty-two. The following is a correct list in order
of age: Nasir (1920), Sad (1921), Fahad (1921),
Mansur (1921), ’Abdullah (1922), Bandar (1924),
Sultan (1924), Musa’id (1927), Mish’al (1927),
’Abdul-Muhsin (1928), Mushari (1932), Muteb (1933),
Talal (1933), ’Abdur-Rahman (1933), Turki (1934),
Badr (1934), Nawwaf (1934), Navef (1935), Fawwaz
(1936), Ma’jid (1937), Sulman (1938) and (?) (1939).
Mansur, No. 1 (9), deserves separate notice. His
mother, a Caucasian concubine, was the King’s
favourite until her death in 1938. A favourite of his
father, he is perhaps alone among the King’s sons in
being interested in something other than political
gossip, field sports and domestic pleasures. He likes
machines, personally sees to the maintenance of his
cars and spends a good deal of his time at the Royal
garage in Riyadh. Usually in charge of arrangements
when the King moves from Riyadh to the Hejaz or
to camp, and is said to be responsible for the
maintenance of the electrical installation at the
Royal Palace at Riyadh. Visited Egypt in March
1942 as the guest of the British Commander-in-chief.
On his return to Jedda he gave an interview (with
his father’s approval of his remarks) to a representa
tive of the B.B.C., which was recorded in the Royal
Palace at Jedda and later broadcast from London.
He owns a cinema projector. Visited India, for
health reasons, in June 1943 with his brother,
Muhammad and ’Abdullah Suleiman. In October
and again in November he visited Palestine for
further medical treatment, returning with Faysal,
whom he joined in Egypt, in December 1943.
Appointed Minister of Defence in March 1944.
Visited Khartoum in December 1944 to arrange for
the training there of Sa’udi army personnel in driving
and maintenance. Accompanied his father for the
meetings with President Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill
in Egypt in February 1945. Acting Viceroy during
the absence of the Amir Faysal at the San Francisco
Conference, and from November 1945 to February
1946.
The Amir Mansour prevailed upon Ibn Saud to
ask His Majesty’s Minister to request His Majesty’s
Government to provide a military mission to train
the Saudi Arabian army. As the result of this
request, a small military mission was established
early in 1947 at Taif. the headquarters of the Saudi
Arabian armed forces, where the Amir is generally
in residence. Co-operation between the Amir, in
his capacity of Minister of Defence, and the head
of the British Military Mission has been generally
very satisfactory. He is certainly very keen, but
is almost completely devoid of knowledge of the
organisation of his own forces.
The Amir Mansour is also in charge of the State-
owned Saudi Arabian Airlines, and relations with
the British Civil Air Training mission at Taif will
also be his responsibility.
Talal, No. 1 (18).—One of the King’s favourite
sons. His mother, Umm Talal, one of the royal
concubines, is the King’s favourite. Talal w’ent to
Egypt in August 1944, on board H.M.S. Sagitta,
for medical treatment. He was found to be
suffering from syphilis, and after not very successful
treatment returned by air in October.
Nawwaf (22), a full brother of Talal, is an animated
and friendly hoy who is becoming something of a
traveller. He has already visited the United King
dom and Egypt, and in the summer of 1947 went
to the United States with Shaikh Khairuddin al-
Zureikly (q.v.) in attendance. When passing
through Paris he seems to have given an interview
as a result of which one evening paper came out
with the headline “ Mon pere a 200 femmes.”
Brothers. All Amirs.
No. 28 in 1943 report, Muhammad ibn ’Abdurrah
man. —Died July 1943.
(28) and (29) Sa’d and Sa’ud, who died in 1916
and 1939 respectively. The former left three sons:
Faysal, Sa’ud and Fahad; and the latter two:
Muhammad and Faysal.
(30) ’Abdullah ibn 'Abdurrahman. —Born about
1894. Accompanied King on his visit to Egypt in
February 1945 for the meetings wdth President
Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill.
(31) to (34) Ahmad, Musd’id, Sa'd and ’Abdul
Muhsin. —Younger men, the children of the old age
of ’Abdur-Rahman ibn Faysal.
’Ardif Branch. Also Amirs.
Certain of the King’s cousins are dealt with in
separate notices, but a general mention may be
made of the ’Araif as being members of a senior
branch of the family by virtue of descent from Sa’ud
ibn Faysal, an elder brother of the King’s father and
a former ruler at Riyadh. Their generic name of
’Araif is one applied to raided camels, subsequently
‘‘ recognised,” as the root implies, and recovered by
their owners. It seems to have been given to them
because they had remained in the hands of the Beni
Rashid, but escaped to Ibn Sa’ud in the course of
battle in 1904. Some of them rebelled against him
in 1910, but the present members of the family form
portion of the King’s posse of satellite princes.