Muhammad Hathut
In 1932, the global economy was in critical condition. World War I had worn out many countries and the United States was suffering immensely from the Great Depression. Moreover, there was a dramatic drop in the number pilgrims coming to perform Haj and the Saudi economy was going through a very tough period. The late King Abdulaziz had to send his son Prince Faisal to London to get a loan that would help the King build a new state. Prince Faisal, who was a young but smart leader, traveled to the United Kingdom and met with the leaders of the most powerful country at the time.
Sir Lancelot Oliphant, the then Director General of the Foreign Office, received Prince Faisal and the accompanying delegation. Oliphant said no to Prince Faisal and refused to give the Kingdom a loan. The UK discovered later that Oliphant made a grave mistake that he came to regret.
It was a major setback to Prince Faisal who did not give up. Prince Faisal asked the UK to join the Kingdom to explore for oil but again Oliphant said no and this time it was an arrogant no. “You are a little-known country at the present time,” he told Prince Faisal who became angry and left London the same day.
The UK refused to give a small loan to the Kingdom and refused to explore for oil, which had already been discovered in Iraq and Iran. Every British politician today remembers this incident although 80 years have passed since it took place. This incident changed the balance of power in the Middle East and the Gulf Region forever.
Two weeks after the Saudi delegation left London, the UK learned the shocking news that an American company had discovered oil in Bahrain. A few months later, King Abdulaziz signed an agreement with an American company to explore for oil. A few years later, the company discovered the largest reserves of oil in the world.
It must have been a difficult moment for Oliphant when he found out that this little-known country turned out to have very large quantities of oil. This little-known country then became well known.
Following the long-term British hegemony, America started to enhance its presence in the region. A well-known British historian said that all British politicians wish they could forget the meeting that took place between Prince Faisal and Oliphant, but this meeting will never be forgotten.
The BBC carried a story on the incident and published Oliphant’s photo with the following headline “The diplomat who said ‘No’ to Saudi oil”. Every Saudi should learn a lesson from this story. Look where we were then and how we have progressed today and imagine what the future holds for us.
