Armed forces

This file contains the reports of the UK's Defence Attaché in Saudi Arabia C S Fitzpatrick; his annual reports for 1966 and 1967; and his monthly reports February to April 1967 and September 1967 to February 1968. The reports refer to:

• Order of battle for the Saudi Arabian Army; an outline of the strength of the Royal Saudi Air Force; and details of command structure and officers commanding
• Development of the Royal Saudi Navy and the Coastguard
• Development of the Saudi Arabian Air Defence Scheme
• UK, US and Pakistani military assistance
• Recruitment to the Saudi Armed Forces; and disaffection among elements who 'lean towards socialism'
• 'State of conflict' between Saudi and the United Arab Republic forces in Yemen; the closure of Egyptian banks; an extract of a speech by President Gamal Abdul Nasser on 22 February 1967 promising never to quit Yemen; the withdrawal of Egyptian forces
• Plans to develop a garrison at Khamis Mushait
• British evacuation of Aden
• Internal security situation in Saudi Arabia
• UK defence contract, including aircraft sales and the Saudi Arabian Air Defence Scheme
• UK sales of Centurion tanks to Israel and French sales of Mirage aircraft
• Training in France of Saudi workers from the arms factory Al Kharj
• Hawk missile project
• Defence deal reached between King Hussein Bin Talal and King Faisal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud
• King Faisal’s views on fashion and youthful morals
• Saudi attitude to the BBC Arabic Service
• Appointment of R M Horsley as Air Attaché
• Saudi-Somalia relations and the Soviet Union
• Influence of Iraq
• Report by Fitzpatrick on a Jeddah-Riyadh-Buraydah-Hail-Medina-Jeddah journey
• Port, rail, road, oil and industrial infrastructure
• Hospital building programme