مجموعة ٦/ ١٦ "مستقبل: الأسرة الملكية. الأحداث المحتملة في حالة وفاة ابن سعود." [ظ‎‎٨‎٥] (٤٤٠/١٧١)

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Abdullah Sulaiman as one of their leaders, nor is it probable that he and Fuad Bey
would work together in such a movement. A much more likely sympathiser is
Muhammad Tawil, Director of Customs in King Husain’s time, and at present
director (under compulsion) of the new Nejd Motor Transport Company, yet his
name was not mentioned. Nevertheless, the statements are of interest as yoicmg
Hejazi dissatisfaction at Saudi rule, and as referring definitely to discussions to
take place in Egypt, though no hint of the identity or of the number of the other
malcontents was given. I do not think it likely that they are numerous or
important, and I attribute Muhammad Ali Riza’s statements largely to the
bragging of a rather conceited young man, whose inheritecl wealth would enable
him to play a much larger part in a world not dominated by the shadow of
Ibn Baud. n j •
4. The conspirators, if they deserve this .name, are probably well advised
to wait for the death of Ibn Baud. His contempt for the Hejazi and his intention
to stand no nonsense from them are well known : they were expressed in a speech
at Mecca which I reported in paragraph 6 of my despatch No. 91, dated the
8th May, 1937. Whatever the grievances of the Hejaz or of any other part of
the country, no one expects that a revolt will be ventured upon in the lifetime of
Ibn Baud. On the other hand, both Arab tradition and the particular circum
stances of the case suggest that the succession may be disputed at Ibn Baud’s
death. If the Arab custom has its advantages, under which the best man in the
ruling family tends to secure the rule, it has a drawback in that the succession is
always liable to be contested. Ibn Baud has tried to secure the succession by
appointing the Amir Baud, his eldest surviving son, as his successor, and
requiring the oath of allegiance to be taken to him as heir apparent. This is a
compromise : it is not in conformity with Arab custom, yet it does not recognise
the principle of primogeniture, since Ibn Baud’s eldest son, Turki, who died in
the influenza epidemic of 1918, left a son, Faisal, who is still alive.
. 5. There is always much gossip about alleged differences between the sons
of Ibn Baud and the possibility of their quarrelling after their father’s death.
The Amir Faisal, for instance, is represented as being jealous of his eldest brother,
Baud, and as being not only cleverer but more popular because of his superiority
as a warrior and a horseman. But it is from the third son, Muhammad, that
opposition is considered to be most likely to come. During his stay in Riyadh
last summer, Mr. Ousman found that the Amir Muhammad was considered the
most ambitious and unruly of all the princes, and it is suggestive that Muhammad
Ali Riza should mention him as a sympathiser. The name of the Amir
Muhammad is usually associated with that of his next brother, Khalid. Not
only are they full brothers, but among the older members of the family they are
supposed to be the favourites of Ibn Baud, as the sons of his Queen, Jauhara,
whose death in 1918 is known to have caused the King deep sorrow. It is known
that Muhammad shows jealousy towards Baud and tries to compete with him in
magnificence and generosity, and at the time of tlie Athlone visit to Riyadh
Mr. Gault noticed that he seemed to resent being asked by Baud to do anything,
and to sulk at having to help organise a tribal dance, whereas the other Amirs
took part with no sign of dissatisfaction. Possibly the King’s object in sending
Muhammad to England with the Amir Baud for the Coronation was the establish
ment of better relations between them.
6. It is not only from rival brothers that opposition to the succession might
perhaps come. The hostility of the Amir Khalid-bin-Muhammad, whose death
occurred a month ago, to his cousin the Amir Baud was always taken for granted,
and as a rule he accompanied the Amir Baud and remained under his observation.
He was in the suite of the Amir Baud during the recent visit to Bahrein, and the
political agent has recorded what precautions were taken for the security of the
Amir Baud at night. E Possibly the object of the arrangement by which Feisal-bin-
Turki, son of Ibn Baud’s first-born son, has been brought up as the son of his
uncle Baud is not only to give him a home, but also to take away any sense of
grievance he might feel and to enable him to be kept under supervision. Not long
ago the political agent at Koweit mentioned several Saudi tribal leaders living
in exile who were believed to have common plans for making trouble on Ibn Baud’s
death, while many people believe that the loyalty of the Governor of Hasa, son
of the great Ibn Juluwi, will not outlast the life of Ibn Baud. Then there are
the members of the Ibn Rashid family, who live in honourable but irksome exile
in Riyadh, with their womenfolk still in Hail. Finally, there are all the tribes