Skip to item: of 914
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

Coll 6/21(1) 'Hejaz-Nejd: Relations with H.M.G.: Hejaz Legation in London and British Minister in Jeddah.' [‎47v] (105/914)

The record is made up of 1 volume (453 folios). It was created in 7 Sep 1927-10 Jan 1935. 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.

Apply page layout

Government of Inula in closer t °
teen passing iiere, the a.o. letter{oi vviiicn a^copy
is attached has teen sent them.
3 . Of the other matters discussed in the Middle
hast Committee, we are not actively concerned, witn tne
Question of the Saudi- Trans Jordan frontier, nothing of
‘ — ■ • 1
importance took place about the Koweit Blockade; ana the
Question of the debts of tne Saudi Government to H.luG.
(India is interested in respect of £10,000, being the
balance outstanding of tne amount due to her for certain
arms supplied to Ibn Saud in 1929) is of minor importance.
But tne discussion (on pages 17-21 of the record) on the
question whether H.L.G, should be recommended to continue
to aim at a general comprehensive settlement of all
utstanding questions, or to aim instead at dealing with
the various questions in isolation, is of some importance.
It will be seen that the Sub-Committee decided to recommend
that H.L.G. should adhere for tne present to the idea of
securing a general settlement, i.e. simultaneous settlement,
oy comprehensive agreement, of major outstanding questions;
cut that Sir A. Ryan should be given full discretion to
revert to the idea of separate settlement of the various
questions at issue should he see fit.
4 * As sir Andrew Ryan returned to Jedda on the 23rd,
dnia will ieach theie early in December, the Foreign Office,
not unnaturally, are very anxious to give him categorical
instructions as early as possible on the various points
covered by tne negotiations, and we cannot be sure tnat he
will not lino, it necessary to start his conversations with
the Sauuis very shortly alter his return. But although the
minister has hah the auvantage of being present at various
interdepartmental discussions here ana Knows fairly well
how we stana as regards the matters in issue, it is
unfortunately unlikely that we can niva him i
can bive him early instruction

About this item

Content

This volume concerns relations between the British Government and the Government of the Hejaz and Nejd (later Saudi Arabia).

The volume largely consists of copies of Foreign Office and Colonial Office correspondence. The correspondence near the beginning of the volume discusses Ibn Saud's [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd's] wish to enter into full diplomatic relations with the British Government. The Hejazi Government's proposal in 1929 to establish a legation in London is accompanied by a request for the British Government to raise the status of its Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. and Consulate in Jedda to the same status.

The subsequent correspondence in the volume discusses the following:

  • The British Government's consideration (and acceptance) of Ibn Saud's proposal, and the appointment of Sir Andrew Ryan as His Majesty's Minister at the British Legation in Jedda in May 1930.
  • Hafiz Wahba's appointment as Hejazi Minister in London in 1930.
  • Complaints made by the Hejazi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regarding Sir Andrew Ryan's attitude and conduct since his arrival in Jedda.
  • Details of an Hejazi-Nejdi diplomatic mission to Europe (including visits to Italy, France, Britain, and the Netherlands), undertaken in May 1932 and headed by Amir Feisal [Fayṣal bin ‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd], Hejazi Minister for Foreign Affairs (this part of the volume includes detailed accounts of the mission's meetings with Foreign Office officials during its visit to London).
  • Sir Andrew Ryan's account of his meeting with Ibn Saud at Taif in July 1934, and their discussion of the 'blue line' (the frontier which marked the Ottoman Government's renunciation of its claims to Bahrain and Qatar, in the Anglo-Ottoman convention of 1913) and the Kuwait blockade.
  • Details of several meetings held at the Foreign Office between Fuad Bey Hamza (Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs for Saudi Arabia), Sir Andrew Ryan and George William Rendel (Head of the Foreign Office's Eastern Department), during September 1934, regarding the 'blue line', the Kuwait blockade, and the future of the Treaty of Jedda (the treaty signed between Britain and Ibn Saud in 1927).
  • Requests from the Italian Government for information regarding Fuad Bey Hamza's visit to London.

The volume features the following principal correspondents: His Majesty's Agent and Consul at Jedda, a position that was raised to His Majesty's Chargé d’Affaires to Jedda in late 1929 (Hugh Stonehewer Bird, William Linskill Bond, Cecil Gervase Hope Gill, and Albert Spencer Calvert successively); His Majesty's Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan); His Majesty's Ambassador in Rome (Ronald William Graham); Ibn Saud; Amir Faisal; officials of the Hejazi/Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs; officials of the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, and 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. .

In addition to correspondence, the volume contains a copy of the minutes of a meeting of the Committee of Imperial Defence's Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East. The meeting, which took place in London on 8 November 1934, was primarily concerned with the settlement of the 'blue line' issue, 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, and the Kuwait blockade.

The volume includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the volume by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 volume (453 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 for this description commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 449; these numbers are written in pencil 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. The front and back covers, along with the two leading and two ending flyleaves, have not been foliated.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

Coll 6/21(1) 'Hejaz-Nejd: Relations with H.M.G.: Hejaz Legation in London and British Minister in Jeddah.' [‎47v] (105/914), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2087, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100066378255.0x00006a> [accessed 4 June 2026]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100066378255.0x00006a">Coll 6/21(1) 'Hejaz-Nejd: Relations with H.M.G.: Hejaz Legation in London and British Minister in Jeddah.' [&lrm;47v] (105/914)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100066378255.0x00006a">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x000271/IOR_L_PS_12_2087_0105.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000555.0x000271/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image