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

Tarik A. Alireza

25 April, 2002

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

Introduction

This exhibit attempts to show, through covers spanning 200 years, how the postal service in Saudi Arabia developed from its beginnings during the Ottoman period through to Saudi rule (see postal service chart below). The various rates in place at different times as well as the pattern of routes used will be shown along with a wide range of cancellations and postal markings, some previously unrecorded.

PRE-STAMP (1836 - 1865) AND EGYPTIAN POSTAL SERVICE (1865 - 1881) : Drawn by the Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah, Ottoman rule in the Hijaz dates from 1517. The Ottomans established for Official use a postal communications network run by mounted couriers. Commercial mail was hand-carried by favour to the nearest point of access to an established postal system, typically Egypt. In 1865, the Ottoman authorities permitted the Egyptians, then still under nominal Ottoman suzerainty, to establish a branch P.O. in Jeddah. In 1881, the Ottomans ordered the closure of this office, which now competed with their own postal service, which had been set up in 1870.

OTTOMAN POSTAL SERVICE (1870 - 1918) : Although the Ottomans occupied the eastern as well as the western coasts of Arabia,there are no known covers from the Hassa region of the Arabian Gulf (Sanjak of Najd, Vilayet of Basra). This part of the exhibit will therefore concentrate on the parts of Saudi Arabia formerly within the Ottoman Vilayets of Syria, Hijaz and Yemen. Although the Ottomans introduced stamps in 1863, they did not establish their service in Western Arabia until 1870. At first, only the major towns were served, Makkah in 1870 and Jeddah in 1871. Madinah, Yanbu,Taif, Qunfudah and Wajh followed in1875. Although thesedates areas per archives, there is little evidence of such early use for the smaller towns. Over the years these were followed by the lesser or outlying towns. Even after its establishment, the postal network remained limited and did not go far inland, let alone cross the Peninsula east to west. For this reason, inter-Arabian communication between the various regions was by means of trusted camel-mounted retainers and couriers.

HIJAZ (1916-1925) - KING HUSSEIN BIN ALI (1916-1924) AND KING ALI (1924-1925): World War I and the ensuing Arab Revolt saw the defeat of the Ottomans in Arabia and the advent of the newly-independent Hashimite Kingdom of Hijaz, which built upon the existing Ottoman postal system. Najdi successes in the Hashimite-Saudi war which broke out in late 1924 forced the abdication of King Hussein in favour of his son Ali. For little over a year, he would rule from the besieged town of Jeddah with almost no real authority over what remained of his dwindling state, including Yanbu and Madinah to the north.

NAJD (1902-1925), HIJAZ & NAJD (1926-1932), SAUDI ARABIA (1932- ) - KING ABDULAZIZ AL SAUD (1902-1953) : The Saudis, after consolidating their rule in Najd, Central Arabia, proceeded to defeat the Ottomans in Eastern Arabia in 1913. They were not to establish a postal service until early in 1925, after the capture of Taif, Makkah and Qunfudah from the Hashimites. Throughout most of 1925, both the Hashimites and Najdi postal services offered limited internal service and were able to maintain independent postal links to the outside world. Hashimite rule ended in late December 1925 with the victorious Saudis expanding the network and regularizing the service in the ensuing years. Early in 1926, the country's name became "Kingdom of Hijaz and Najd" ("and Dependencies" added later). In 1932, the country was renamed the "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" but Hijaz & Najd stamps continued in use until December 1933.

1. Ottoman archives list these offices open from above dates.

2. No known covers from Ottoman period; Hassa Province was without postal service from 1913 capture by Saudis to c.1933.

3. Annexed by Transjordan in June 1925 to avoid capture by Saudis.

4. No record of P.O. during Ottoman Period.

5. Capital of Saudis, lost to Al Rashid of Hail 1892 - 1902; first P.O. c. 1930.