Treaty of Darin

The Treaty of Darin is a treaty signed by King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman bin Faisal Al Saud with Britain, and it is also known as the Treaty of Qatif and the Treaty of Al-Uqair; under it, Britain recognised Abdulaziz as Emir of Najd and Al-Ahsa.[1]

The treaty came amid the events of the First World War, when Britain sought to win the support of King Abdulaziz, which paved the way for its signing.[1] Because it affected the sovereignty of the Saudi State, King Abdulaziz moved promptly to annul it in the Treaty of Jeddah of 1927.[1]

King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman bin Faisal Al Saud signed the Treaty of Darin with Britain, and this is the same treaty that is also known as the Treaty of Qatif or Al-Uqair.[1]

The signing of the treaty was matched by Britain's recognition of Abdulaziz as Emir of Najd and Al-Ahsa.[1]

At the outset of the events of the First World War, Britain sought to win the support of King Abdulaziz against the Turks, which paved the way for the Treaty of Darin.[1]

The signing was preceded by contacts and consultations concerning the annexation of Al-Ahsa: when King Abdulaziz considered annexing it, he took the initiative to meet the British representative in Bahrain and inform him of his wish to annex Al-Ahsa to the Saudi State in order to ascertain Britain's support, and the government in London showed no encouragement for the idea.[1]

The idea of annexing Al-Ahsa was also discussed with the British Captain Shakespeare in 1911 during his visit to Najd, and he gave no undertaking; King Abdulaziz thereupon decided to advance on Al-Ahsa regardless of the British position, and he was able to annex it to the Saudi State.[1]

Under the treaty, Britain undertook to provide King Abdulaziz with financial and military assistance, on condition that he neither communicate with any other state nor conclude treaties except with its approval.[1]

The Treaty of Al-Uqair (Darin) was signed at Al-Uqair Port in Al-Ahsa on 18 Safar 1334 AH, corresponding to 26 December 1915, during the reign of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman.[2]

The historic Al-Uqair Port in Al-Ahsa Governorate is the first seaport in the east of the Kingdom on the coast of the Arabian Gulf, and it was the economic gateway at the beginning of the founding of the State and the main outlet to the east and centre of the Kingdom.[3] It has been the sea outlet for the people of Al-Ahsa and Najd since ancient times, and among its archaeological landmarks are the customs building, the passports building, the seafront, the khan building, the market, the old mosque and the fort.[4]

The customs building at Al-Uqair Port has been registered in the national register of antiquities, and restoration work is under way on the warehouses, customs and port buildings.[3] To preserve the archaeological value of Al-Uqair Port, the National Urban Heritage Centre took charge of supervising its restoration.[2]

Darin town lies in the southern corner of Tarout Island in Qatif Governorate in the Eastern Province; it was once a small island separate from the mother island of Tarout and surrounded by shallow waters, until the waterway separating them was filled in again in 1399 AH/1979.[5]

The history of Darin and Tarout islands goes back more than 5000 years, and they hold more than 11 heritage sites, while Darin Port is among the oldest ports in the region.[6] Darin was renowned for its seaport and its active market, and it was a storehouse for the goods brought by ships, the most famous of them musk, perfumes, spices and several kinds of fabrics, textiles and swords; it was the centre of the pearl trade in Qatif.[5]

The Darin and Tarout islands cover an area of 32 square kilometres and are inhabited by 120,000 people, and a development direction and a development corporation were approved for them with an estimated budget of 2644 million riyals.[6]

Because the treaty affected the sovereignty of the Saudi State, King Abdulaziz moved promptly to annul it in the Treaty of Jeddah of 1927, in which Britain recognised Abdulaziz as King of the Hejaz and Najd and his right to conclude treaties with other states.[1]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs pavilion at the National Festival for Heritage and Culture, Janadriyah 31, displayed a collection of the international agreements and treaties that accompanied the unification of the Kingdom, among them the Kingdom's treaties in the era of King Abdulaziz before and after unification, some of them signed before unification.[7]

Q: What is the Treaty of Darin? A: It is a treaty signed by King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman bin Faisal Al Saud with Britain, in which Britain recognised Abdulaziz as Emir of Najd and Al-Ahsa.[1]

Q: By what other names is the Treaty of Darin known? A: It is also known as the Treaty of Qatif and the Treaty of Al-Uqair.[1]

Q: When and where was the treaty signed? A: It was signed at Al-Uqair Port in Al-Ahsa on 18 Safar 1334 AH, corresponding to 26 December 1915.[2]

Q: What were Britain's obligations under the treaty? A: It undertook to provide King Abdulaziz with financial and military assistance, on condition that he not communicate with any other state or conclude treaties except with its approval.[1]

Q: When was the Treaty of Darin annulled? A: It was annulled in the Treaty of Jeddah of 1927, in which Britain recognised Abdulaziz as King of the Hejaz and Najd and his right to conclude treaties with other states.[1]

The Treaty of Darin marked a station in the course of the Saudi State in the era of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman bin Faisal Al Saud, for in it Britain recognised Abdulaziz as Emir of Najd and Al-Ahsa in 1334 AH/1915.[1] In 1927 it was annulled in the Treaty of Jeddah, which recognised Abdulaziz as King of the Hejaz and Najd and his right to conclude treaties with other states.[1] Related topics on the platform include the Treaty of Al-Uqair, King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, the unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Eastern Province, Tarout Island and Al-Ahsa Oasis.