'File 11/44 Leading Personalities in Iraq, Iran & Saudi Arabia' [‎39v] (78/96)

Although inconspicuous, they might produce a
claimant, by right of senior descent, to the throne.
Various names are given in the Almanack de Gotha
and Philby’s Arabia. The most important of these
princes, who bear individually the surname of al-
’Arafa, would appear to be—
(35) Sa’ud ibn 'Abdul-'Aziz ibn Sa'ud ibn
Faysal. —Married the King’s sister Nura. Seems to
play a certain role in Ibn Sa’ud s entourage.
Probably the same Sa’ud al-’Arafa who was
described in a report from Kuwait as being,
according to a reliable informant, a friend of the
’Ajman tribe and secretly hostile to Ibn Sa’ud.
Daughter reported to have married Amir Pay sal
(q.v.) in October 1935.
2. 'Abdul- Aziz ibn Ibrahim.
Governor of Medina (technically Acting Governor
vice the King’s son Amir Khalid, who never actually
held the post) until May 1936, when he was replaced
by Abdullah as Sidayri (No. 50 (1)). Had the
reputation of being a severe and arbitrary Governor.
Was Governor of Abba in 1926 at the time of the
clash between the Akhwan and the Yemeni pilgrim
caravan, the ’Usba, in the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Tanuma. In 1936
appointed a member of the Council of Ministers.
3. A bdul- Aziz ibn Mu ammar.
Governor of Jedda until June 1935, when he was
appointed Governor of Taif in the room of Amir
Abdullah, maternal uncle of Amir Faysal (No. 1 (3)).
Born in or about 1904. Comes of a former ruling
family of Nejd, apparently the same Beni Mu’ammar
of Ayaina, who were prominent in the early days of
the Wahhabi movement and are mentioned several
times in Philby’s Arabia. Brought up principally at
Riyadh. Was Governor of Yanbu’ for some time and
earned a good reputation there. Was appointed to
Jedda in August 1932, with the title of Amir, on the
death of Hajji ’Abdullah ’Ali Riza, a leading local mer
chant who had been governor with the old title of
Qaimmaqam since King Huseyn’s time. He is good-
looking and pleasant, but pretentious, probably on the
score of his blue blood. He was keen on riding and
other forms of sport until afflicted by paralysis in 1939.
He went to India for special treatment in March
1941, but returned incurable in October 1941. Now
completely deaf and unable to walk.
4. A bdul-'Aziz ibn Musa'id ibn Jiluwi ibn
Sa'ud.
Second cousin to the King. Governor of Hail
since 1925 or earlier. Said by the Sheykh of Kuwait
in March 1932 to be only 40, but to have aged greatly
owing to worry. Was much in evidence in 1929 as
one of the King’s right-hand men at the time of the
Akhwan rebellion. Came into prominence in
February 1930, when, apparently without the King’s
authority, he conducted a raid on the scale of a
punitive expedition, which it was, in fact, intended
to be, into 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 . Disavowed by the King at
the time, but maintained in his governorate. Was
in November 1932 put at the head of the principal
force despatched to reduce the ’Asir rebels, and
proceeded from Riyadh to ’Abha and Jizan, where
he assumed supreme command of the forces in ’Asir.
Said then to be intended for the Governorate-General
of the w r ho!e ’Asir area, but eventually returned to
Hail. A man for occasions requiring drastic action.
Appointed inspector of the frontier area on the
Sa’udi-Iraq frontier in 1936, duties he combines with
those of Governor of Hail. In 1939 was said to have
aroused suspicion at Riyadh as having designs on the
throne which he might try to carry out on the death
of Ibn Saud.
5. 'Abdul-'Aziz (ibn Hamud) ibn Zeyd.
Inspector of Bedouin 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 frontier area
Born probably about 1897. Comes of a Hail family
said to be related to the Beni Rashid. Said to have
been educated in Constantinople. Sent to ’Amman
in summer of 1926 to discuss claims in respect of
raids, and attended with two other Sa’udi delegates
an abortive conference at Ma’an in September. Was
one of the two Sa’udi delegates on tribunal which
sat at Jericho from February to May 1927 in
accordance with the Hadda Agreement. Was later
an Assistant Governor of Jedda. Sent to ’Amman
in August 1930 as Sa’udi agent at the MacDonnell
investigation regarding raids. Appointed Inspector
of Beduin in the frontier region in January 1931,
and held meetings at long intervals with Captain
Glubb, his opposite number 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 .
Personally amiable, but will take no responsibility
without reference to the King. From 1936 to 1938
was inspector of the whole 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 -Saudi
frontier, under a scheme for dividing the northern
frontier area into three sectors under inspectors
with wide powers. In May 1943 was appointed
Saudi Consul at Damascus in succession to Rusheyd
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. .
6. 'A bdullah ibn Blayhid.
A leading figure among the Wahhabi Ulema.
Comes from Hail. Qadhi of Mecca after its occupa
tion by Ibn Sa’iid, and was described in Eldon
Rutter’s account of him (1925—26) as a “ bent and
wizened little man.” Appointed Grand Qadhi of tl^
Hejaz in January 1926. Was instrumental in
1926 in obtaining a fatwa from seventeen Ulama Of
Medina in support of the Wahhabi policy of
destroying tombs. Head of the Nejdi delegates at
the Moslem Congress of June 1926. Again visited
Medina in November of that year in attendance on
the King and in the company of ’Abdullah ibn Hasan
(see 12 (1)), bent on purging the place of iniquity
as Mecca had been purged. Vacated post at Mecca
in 1928 and returned to Hail. Was thought at that
time to favour the extremists of the Akhwan move
ment. Still visits Mecca at intervals. Thought to
be embarrassing in high places owing to his frankness
and fanaticism. Signed the pronouncement by the
Ulama of Nejd in favour of Jihad at the time of the
Ibn Rifada rebellion in 1932.
7. A bdullah Kdzim.
A Hejazi said to be of Cossack origin. Born about
1887. Was employed in the Mecca Post Office in
King Hussein’s time. Appointed Sa’udi Director^
General of Posts and Telegraphs in 1926 and stP^ _
holds the post. Went to Port Sudan in March 192b
as one of Ibn Sa’ud’s delegates to negotiate about
the E.T.C. cable and showed himself an obstructive
negotiator. Was again pretty sticky in taking
delivery of Marconi wireless in 1931-33, but created
a good impression at the time of the cable and
wireless negotiations in the spring of 1935.
8. 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn ’Aqil (or
'A qeyil).
In 1926 Governor of Jauf. but had vacated the
post by March 1928. when he was put in command
of a force sent to quell the disturbance created at Wejh
by Hamid ibn Rifada. Probably identical with the
ibn ’Aqil who was mentioned in May 1931 as a
possible candidate for the governorship of Tebuk. but
w T as not appointed. ’Abdullah ibn ’Aqil commanded
the Ikhwan mobilised in June 1932 to repress the
further rebellion of Hamid ibn Rifada.
9. 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad, al-Fadhl.
Vice-President of the Legislative Council and
Assistant Viceroy. Probably born about 1883.
Principal member of the Fadhl family q.v. Was
formerly a merchant in Jedda. Described in 1917 as
” anti-Sherif and pro-English ” and as goinsr by the
sobriquet of ” Englisi ” in Jedda. Put in prison at
that time in Mecca for some unknown offence.