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

10 Saudi Arabia (1934 - )

Registered cover from "HASSA", Type HS-3, 11/3/34 tying 5 x 1 ½ q of 1934 Heir Apparent issue via BAHRAIN 19/3 and "NEW YORK, N.Y. REG'Y. DIV." 20/4 to LOS ANGELES 23-24/4 (all on back); bilingual Hassa REG. h/s with m/s "131". In the Ottoman period, there are 2 known cancels for HOFUF (AL HASSA), which for political reasons the Turks called "NAJD". Neither of these has been recorded on cover.

"HODEIDAH 17/5/34" (should be 17/6) via ADEN 23/6 to PORT TAUFIQ and SUEZ 2/7; 7q FOREIGN REG. (h/s on back) and ½ q WAR TAX. Addressee at British Consulate, SUEZ, requested to forward letter to JEDDAH Consulate. Presumably sent on by hand or diplomatic bag. During a brief border war with Yemen in 1934, Saudi forces occupied the Tihama coastal strip to the Yemeni port of Hudaydah, and used theP.O. there from about May 13 to June 23.

Registered mail from MAKKAH 31/5/34 on mixed franking 27 q postage and ½ q War Charity Tax via FRIEDRICHSHAFEN 23/6, and from there by "GRAF ZEPPELIN" to BUENOS AIRES "18/6" (back, should be 28/6); undated Argentinian "CENTRAL REGISTERED 116" on front.

H. St. John Philby letter sent from "GEZAN" 12/1/37 on 3 ½q and l q Charity Tax via MAKKAH 16/2, JEDDAH 17/2 and PORT TAUFIQ 20/2 to CAMBEREY in England; no arrival cds but m/s "Rec." March 1.37 (Jazan)" in the hand of Mrs. Philby on front. Although JAZAN was part of the Ottoman Vilayet of Yemen and archieve records list a post office there from 1875, no Ottoman postmarks have been recorded. It was subsequently the seat of the Edrisi state in the early part of the 20^th century; again there are no records of a postal service. After a brief war in the early 1930's, King Abdulaziz finally incorporated the area into the Saudi state in March 1933, sometime after which cds Type JZ-1 would have been introduced.

" 30/5/37 on 2 x 3 q plus l q Charity Tax via MAKKAH 14/6 and JEDDAH 15/6 to "BEYROUTH 21 VI 37" (all on back); bilingual Qunfudah "R" h/s with m/s No. "11", weight not filled in box.