British intervention to defend Hejaz

[Grey Wolf]

So, what if when Ibn Saud invades Hejaz, Britain stands by their Hashemite wartime allies and sends and expeditionary force to defeat Saud? Could he not just be thrown back, but overthrown leading to a restoration of the Rashidi? How would the world play out with the Hashemites still ruling in Hejaz and a separate non-Wahabbi Arabia? What also of Asir which IIRC had its own local ruler, would it be independent, a bone of contention or fall under one or the other?

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[AlternateHistoryFan]

Well, I think the possibilities are that Saudi Arabia might not exist and that the Hejaz would be a much more cosmopolitan place, as the Hashemites were much more socially progressive than the Sauds. After all, just look at Hashemite-ruled Jordn today.

Regards, AHF.

 

[Simon]

IIRC there was an internal debate at the time within the British government over who to support, the India Office backed the Saudis whilst the Foreign Office preferred the Hashemites with the India Office somehow winning the argument. Even if the Foreign Office had won the day I'm not sure that the UK would have sent an expeditionary force though - foreign troops and the Two Holy Mosques don't really mix well, plus it would blatantly undercut the Hashemites authority. If the British backed the Hashemites then I think you'd be more likely to see them funnelling supplies, both financial and military, than anything else. Of course the easiest solution is to sit down with both sides and tell them that Britain recognises them as the rightful rulers of their respective territories and that any attempts by one side to invade and annex the other won't be accepted. They turn a blind eye to low level raiding and skirmishes bit intervene if things get serious.

 

[BlueTrousers]

Be careful assuming Hejaz will be a prosperous, cosmopolitan country because of its' leadership - Faisal II of Iraq was a Hashemite, and that hardly turned out well. In fact, the regent during his minority was his uncled Crown Prince Abd al-Ilah of Hejaz. The Saudis do set a rather low bar, though.

The central Arabian state isn't going to be of any particular note and will probably be widely derided as a group of desert tribesmen. It's very possible that the process of knocking the Saudis over and letting the Rashidis in leads to Al-Hasa breaking free again. That's fairly inconsequential... until oil is found. At which point, you've got a majority-Shia Arab state with more petroleum than it knows what to do with. What happens next is liable to be spectacular.

 

[Simon]

IIRC the main source of revenue for early Saudi Arabia was from pilgrims carrying out the Hajj, and even then they approached the UK about a loan in the 1930s because it wasn't enough. Here it might just stretch since the Kingdom of Hejaz has a smaller population, Saudi Arabia is going to be dirt poor, but prosperous and cosmopolitan probably aren't on the table.