'File 11/44 Leading Personalities in Iraq, Iran & Saudi Arabia' [‎41r] (81/96)

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(3) Muhammad ibn Abdurrahman ibn’Abdullah .—
Was a partner in the firm which collapsed in India
in 1930, but resided in Jedda and tried to dissociate
himself from the other partners, his brother and
cousin.
(4) ’Abdullah ibn Ibrahim ibn ’Abdullah .—Private
secretary to the Amir Fay sal in 1926. Afterwards
one of the partners who absconded from India.
Selected in 1931 for the post of chargd d’affaires in
Holland, under scheme which did not materialise for
having a legation there with the Sa’udi Minister in
. London as minister. Appointed Treasurer to the
Government later in 1931, as a result of the cabal
against ’Abdullah Suleyman. Later became Director
of Finance in Jedda, then Government representa
tive to the Arabian-American Oil Company at
Dhahran and Sa’udi representative for supply
matters in Bahrein. Speaks English. Appointed
member of the Council of Ministers in February
1946.
(5) Ibrahim ibn Suleyman al ’Aqil. —Son-in-law
of father of (4), and has taken the place of (2) as
Rais-ul-Diwan of the Amir Faysal. Is an impor
tant official and enjoys Amir Faysal’s complete
confidence. Accompanied him to London in 1939
for the Palestine discussions. As a young man spent
considerable time in India. Speaks a very little
English and some Urdu. A man of culture and
pleasing manners. Accompanied the Amir Faysal
San Francisco Conference in April 1945. Has
oeen suggested as a possible minister in London; but
for some reason Ibn Saud does not like him.
22. Fahad ibn Zu ayr.
Late Governor of ’Asir. Was head of the mission
sent to ’Asir in May 1930 to make the arrangements
which subsequently culminated in its practical
annexation by Ibn Sa’ud. Was later appointed
Amir, though probably not the first to hold the post.
Reported to Ibn Sa’ud with increasing urgency in
the autumn of 1932 that the Idrisi was getting
beyond himself. The Idrisi, professing complete
loyalty to the King, complained bitterly of Fahad’s
rough treatment. The King, anxious to placate the
Idrisi, steered a middle course and sent a commis
sion to investigate. Before it could reach the spot
the Idrisi had gone into open revolt and Fahad had
to escape from his seat of government at Jizan. Was
little heard of for some time afterwards, but was
ijP^ointed Governor of Qunfida in or about June 1933.
23. Fawzan as-Sabiq.
Formerly Sa’udi Charge d'Affaires in Egypt and
consul-general in Cairo. Appointed in August 1936
upon the conclusion of the Sa’udi-Egyptian Treaty
of May 1936. Previously Sa’udi agent in Egypt.
Born about 1888. Belongs by origin to the ’Uqeyl,
the guild, as it were, of recognised caravan-guides.
Educated in a Turkish school at ’ Amman. Said to
have lived for many years in Bombay. Is by pro
fession a dealer in camels and horses and still
appears to do this business. Was Ibn Sa’ud’s agent
in Damascus before 1924. Is described by Sir
Walter Smart as a devout Moslem, plain, slow,
courteous and old-fashioned; politically rather
innocent, but possessed of a certain native shrewd
ness. He is never used by Ibn Saud for important
political work. A keen race-goer who spends much
of his time at the races in Cairo and Alexandria.
Promoted to rank of minister in January 1946
during Ibn Sand’s visit to Egypt.
During the last years of his mission became quite
deaf and probably rather feeble-minded.
24. Fuad Bey Hamza.
Born about 1900, he is a Druze of Abeih, in the
Lebanon, where the family are less prosperoi>s than
they were. One brother Sa id was accused of com
plicity in the murder of a Christian priest at Abeih in
1930, but was finally acquitted in April—May 1934.
Educated in Turkish schools in Syria, the Teachers’
Training College, Beirut, and the Syrian Protestant
College, Beirut. Was Inspector of Schools at
Damascus for a time. Obtained a post as clerk
under the Palestine Department of Public Health
in 1921. Resigned after a few months and took
service under the Department of Education as a
teacher in Acre. Transferred in 1922 to a secondary
school in Jerusalem as teacher in English and
remained until 1926. Studied simultaneously at the
Law School, got a certificate of Legal Studies in
1925 and qualified in five subjects, including Consti
tutional History and Public International Law, for
the Diploma, but did not complete the course. Had
a uniformly good record in Palestine, but was mixed
up in politics and the Druze insurrectionary move
ment. May have feared arrest, although he was
not, in fact, in danger of it. Left for Egypt on the
2nd December, 1926. Apparently was to go to India
on a Syro-Palestinian delegation, but w T as drawn to
the Hejaz, where, after giving English lessons for a
time, he was taken into the Ministry for Foreign
Affairs by Yusuf Yasin, then acting for Dr. ’Abdullah
Damluji. Became Acting Minister in July 1928,
when Dr. Damluji left on a mission, never to return
Had probably worked earlier to undermine Damluji’s
position. Remained Acting Minister until the Amir
Faysal became titular Minister with Fuad as Under
secretary, but still effective head of the Ministry in
December 1930. Retained his post, with a seat on
the Council of Ministers when the latter was con
stituted early in 1932. Visited Europe for the first
time as a member of the Sa’udi Mission under the
Amir Faysal in the spring of 1932 and did all the real
business. Was made an honorary K.B.E. during the
visit to London, and for several years carried a pass
port in which he and his wife appeared as Sir Fuad
and Lady Hamza. Visited Europe again in 1934
and 1935 and conducted important negotiations with
the Foreign Office, and in 1939 went to London with
the Amir Faysal and took a prominent part in the
Palestine discussions.
Fuad Hamza is alert, intelligent, well informed on
matters pertaining to his work and industrious.
Speaks English well and Turkish and some French.
Equally devoted to his own ambitions and to the
cause of Arab nationalism, serving Ibn Sa’ud as its
exponent, though inclined sometimes to despair of
the system of which he has made himself part.
Keeps in touch with other Nationalists in Palestine,
and probably Syria. Very hostile to ’Abdullah
Suleyman and took part in the unsuccessful drive
against him in 1931. Is a very poor Moslem, and
conforms to Wahabism no more than he is obliged
to. Would like to see Sa’udi Arabia, a name of
which he was one of the authors, develop on modern,
more or less constitutional lines. Rather bumptious
and sometimes difficult to deal with, but responds to
personal handling. His attitude towards foreign
Powers is determined by Arab nationalism, and if,
as there is some ground to believe, he accepted a
large bribe from the Italians at the time of the
Ethiopian w r ar, it does not follow that this affected
his advice to Ibn Sa’ud. Possesses a splendid villa
in the best part of Beirut which could not have been
built out of legitimate savings, even supplemented
by a sum of £3,000 which Ibn Saud is said to have
contributed to this object.
In 1939 was appointed first Sa’udi Minister to
Paris. Removed to Vichy after the collapse of
France in 1940, where his record was not reassuring.
Withdrawn from there and appointed first Sa’udi
Minister in Angora where he proceeded in April 1943.
The King did not want him to return to Sa’udi
Arabia, and the great power he once wielded passed
entirely into the hands of his rival, Yusuf Yasin.
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