IOR/L/PS/18/B431

This secret memorandum, printed by the Foreign Office, contains a record of a meeting held at the Foreign Office on 5 October 1933 to discuss relations between Great Britain and the Sheikh of Koweit [Kuwait], Aḥmad bin Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, particularly in regards to Ibn Saud [‘Abd al-‘Aziz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān Āl Sa‘ūd]. The following were present at the meeting: Mr George William Rendel (Chair), Eastern Department of the Foreign Office; Mr K R Johnston, Foreign Office; Sir Andrew Ryan, His Majesty's Minister at Jeddah; Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven William Fowle, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; and Mr John Gilbert Laithwaite, India Office.

The memorandum also includes three appendices:

• 'Appendix A. Note by Sir Andrew Ryan. Ibn Saud's attitude towards Kowait', dated 16 August 1933 (folios 3v-4r);
• 'Appendix B. Provisional Note. Obligations of His Majesty's Government towards the Sheikh of Koweit', 11 October 1933, by Sir John Gilbert Laithwaite (folios 4-6), which includes sections entitled 'A. Nature of the undertakings given', 'B. Constitution of the undertakings given to the Sheikh', and 'Conclusion', with references to various correspondence in the right hand margin;
• 'Appendix C. Supplementary Note. Question of Liability for the Protection of Koweit against Aggression from Outside. 1928-1929', by Sir John Gilbert Laithwaite, dated 6 February, 1934 (folio 6).

There are also a number of enclosures which include correspondence between folios 6 and 10.