Saudi Arabia: Development Of The Postal Service (1801 - 2001)

Introduction | Pre-Stamp | Free Franking Ottoman Official Mail | Ottoman Mail 19th C | Ottoman Mail 20th C | Ottoman Mail WWI | Hijaz - King Hussein | Hijaz - King Ali | Najdi Sultanate Post | Hijaz and Najd | Saudi Arabia | Map

7 Hijaz - King Ali (1924 - 1925)

New "DJEDDA" cds, Type JD-29, 16/11/24 (assuming Hejira date 17/4/343 correct) on increased 2q FOREIGN RATE, introduced in 1923, to PISA in Italy. Per Italian gunboat "MAGGIORE TOSELLI". Undated naval postal markings front and back including h/s of the Commander "COMANDANTE (MARIO ZAMBON)". Although Ali acceded to the throne some 5 weeks prior to the date of this cover, the above stamp is not yet overprinted "HIJAZ GOVERNMENT 4 OCTOBER, 1924", as future issues would be. At the outbreak of hostilities, Britain, France and Italy all sent warships to Jeddah to protect their nationals in the Hijaz. The Italian R.N. MAGGIORE TOSELLI arrived in Jeddah on 2 October, 1924.

It had long been assumed that mail from the besieged Hashimite towns was only to foreign destinations, facilitated by the fact that mail from the ports of Jeddah and Yanbu could bypass the siege as the Saudis had no means for a naval blockade. Any mail from Madinah during this period would have been smuggled to Yanbu for posting. However, a recent discovery shows for the first time that there was a domestic postal service in place during King Ali's short fourteen month reign. 'DJEDDA' 1/7/25 tying 2q and possibly ½q (small part of ½q Arms issue of 1922 showing, but whether this was a surcharged value from King Ali's 1925 issues is not clear as stamp has fallen off) to YANBU, no arrival. As there are no Registration markings, this letter must have been overweight; even though this is the first Domestic Hijazi cover recorded to date, it is likely that the Domestic Rate was still the 1q in place before the war; in any case it could not be higher than 1½q as the Foreign Rate was 2q during the war period.

MAAN 8/4/25 tying a mixture of 2 Hijazi postal (½ q + 1½ q) and 2 fiscal stamps (20pa + 1q) totaling insufficient 3½ q (½ q short of 4q A.R. RATE ). M/s "NOTIFIED RECEIPT, NUMBER 55" at top right; sent to Iranian Consulate in DAMASCUS 14/4/25. The Maan - Aqabah enclave was under Hijazi administration after liberation during the Arab Revolt and the period following the end of WW I. However, in June 1925, and with Britain's blessing, it was formally annexed by Transjordan, then ruled by King Ali's younger brother Abdullah. After his final defeat of the Hashimites in the Hijaz in December 1925, the victorious Sultan Abdulaziz Al Saud subsequently claimed this territory for his new kingdom in the making, but in vain.

Official "HIJAZ NATIONAL PARTY" cover from JEDDAH 19/6/25, franked with 2q, "RECOMMANDEE" h/s with Arabic m/s Control "JEDDAH 426" via PORT TAUFIQ 22/6 to CAIRO 23/6; addressed to Party's representative in Egypt. Although the rate for FOREIGN REGISTERED letters was 4q, it was apparently only 2q for the Party as a number of similar registered covers from this siege period have the same lower OFFICIAL RATE. The Hijaz National Party was formed by prominent citizens who had earlier persuaded King Hussein to abdicate in October 1924. Some of its members would also negotiate with Sultan Abdulaziz the final terms for the handover of Jeddah to the Saudis in Dec. 1925.

Adapted Ottoman "MEDINE 1" 11/11/25 via (back) PORT SAID 4/12 to DELHI 20/12 and Palace of NAWAB of BAHAWALPUR on 29/12. As both Madinah and Yanbu were under Saudi siege, this cover was probably smuggled to YANBU for boat to Suez Canal. Saudi forces entered Madinah on the 6^th of December, 1925, and Yanbu surrendered two weeks later on the 20^th. Sultan Abdulaziz triumphantly entered Jeddah on the 22^nd, ending almost ten turbulent years of an independent Hashimite Kingdom of Hijaz.