CONFIDENTIAL Arabian Department 24 March, 1969 I enclose a minute by Geoffrey Arthur recording a con versation he had on 21 March with the Saudi Ambassador about subversion in the Persian Gulf. 2. The background to the principal incident the Saudi Ambassador reports - 3a in Geoffrey's minute - is contained in John Coles letter 18/7 of 4 March and a report by the Sharjah special branch, copies of which I enclose. You will see that the Saudi report is substantially correct although I doubt whether the Rulers' people (or UAE forces in due course) would have difficulty in handling such a batch of the Yemenis in the absence of the ros. 3. There are we know large numbers of illegal immigrants, from India and Pakistan particularly but also from Iran and perhaps a few from Irag. We here have no reason to know that the numbers from South Amabia are as large as 400: they might be but we doubt whether the number is abnormal in relation to the difficulty of preventing movement in Arabia. 4. This question of immigration is of course one that has exercised us for many years. In recent months there has been correspondence on how we might tighten up on it. This has been held up because of some rather complex legal argument but we intend to do what we can to cut it down, But until the Rulers are united in their determination to end it we shall have a very uphill task; and although most are coming round to realise the dangers of it some for one reason or another are still lukewarm. 5. We shall nonetheless be telling the Ambassador that we shall go on doing what we can to stimulate the Rulers themselves to pursue the problem more energetically and shall continue ourselves where possible to take practical measures as we did in the case he cited. You may care if you have an opportunity to tell your contacts the same. w. Morris, Esq., CMG, Jedda. CONFIDENTIAL
