Political relations between Saudi Arabia and UK

This file relates to relations between Britain and Saudi Arabia. It contains correspondence concerning:

• Saudi Arabia's desire for friendly relations to be restored, but its consternation over the Buraimi dispute. It includes reports of broadcasts from Radio Mecca, communiqués issued by the Saudis, and records of meetings with Saudi officials including King Saud Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, his private secretary Sheikh Abdulla Balkhair, and the Saudi Chargé d'Affaires Omar Saqqaf. Other topics of discussion include: the Baghdad Pact; propaganda; and the better state of relations during Ibn Saud's reign (1-6, 9, 11, 15)
• Anti-British points made by the Saudi Ambassador in Cairo at a press conference (7)
• Simultaneous visit of King Saud and the President of Syria to Cairo, and British Ambassador H Trevelyan's diplomatic concern about calling on one but not the other. It also discusses difficulties between Egypt and Sudan over the Egyptian currency (10, 13)
• Brief for the Foreign Secretary's tour of the Middle East, giving background on the present situation (12)
• Saudi aide memoire accepting in principle HMG's offer to discuss Anglo-Saudi relations in a neutral country. It contains extensive Foreign Office minutes, commenting on this issue (14)
• Harry F Kern's meeting with King Saud: the King suggested relations would improve after Prime Minister Anthony Eden resigns (15)
• Saudi protest that BBC broadcasts alleging that the Saudi Government was behind recent disorders in Bahrain is contrary to the Anglo-Saudi propaganda truce (16)
• Kern's suggestion that he arrange a private meeting between Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd and King Saud (17)
• British efforts to re-establish direct contact with King Saud and initiate substantive talks (18)
• Eden's request that Britain reconsider its approach to Saudi Arabia and seek clarification of the US attitude, in light of recent anti-British Saudi activities in Aden and Yemen, and Saudi attempts to persuade the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation to remove the British anti-locust team. Eden is wary of negotiations in the current circumstances being seen as a sign of weakness (19)
• Forthcoming Anglo-Saudi talks, proposed US representation to the Saudis about their activities, and the question of detaching King Saud from Egypt (20)
• List of anti-British Saudi activities (21)
• Anglo-Saudi efforts to initiate talks (22)
• J F Dulles' comment that Britain should open talks in order to prevent Saudi acts of hostility (23)