Citizens Suggested Kingdom’s Name Change on Unification

Image Caption: LOOKING BACK: This historical photo shows the late King Abdulaziz, founder of the Kingdom, with the then acting governor of Jeddah Sheikh Abdullah Ali Reda after the king entered the port city in 1344 AH.

TABUK: The decision to change the name of the Kingdom from the Kingdom of Hijaz and Najd into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was not a decision taken lightly. The change was effected after a royal decree by King Abdulaziz which was published in the official newspaper, Um Al-Qura, in 1931.

The decision was based on the wishes of citizens of the Kingdom of Hijaz and Najd who sent a telegram to the king saying they wanted a single unified Kingdom in the Arabian Peninsula.

Abdullah Al-Omrani, a research scholar, said the telegram sent by citizens — both Bedouin and urban — to the king also contained requests to amend the name of the Kingdom to its current name, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

He added that one of the telegraphs, which was published by Um Al-Qura newspaper, stated the following: “King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Faisal Al-Saud, our brethren in cities of Al-Hijaz presented pleas asking your majesty to approve the change of the name of the Kingdom of Hijaz and Najd to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to put a system in place for regency to the throne. Since this matter is in the interest of Muslims and their countries, and since we wish to stand united, we join our voices to their voices and plead with your majesty to accept this.”

Al-Omrani said the subsequent royal decree, which had eight articles to amend the name to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ordered the following:

Article 1: The name of the Kingdom will be changed to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and our title will be King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Article 2: This change will be effective from the day of its publication in the official newspaper.

Article 3: This change will have no effect on international agreements, obligations or treaties, which will be the same, and it will have no effect on contracting, and individual contracts.

Article 4: All former regulations, orders and instructions which were published by us will still be effective after the change.

Article 5: Our present government formations, whether in Hijaz or Najd, will be the same for now, until new formations are filed on the basis of the new unity.

Article 6: Our present council agents should start preparations for the basis of a Kingdom, and to pass down the throne accordingly through the formation of a system of government to issue the necessary orders.

Article 7: The president of our council can include any individual with valued opinion while relying on the opinions and information of the previous system to benefit the whole Kingdom.

Article 8: We choose Thursday, the 21st of Jumada Al-Oola, 1351 to announce the unification of the Kingdom.

After the issuance of this royal decree, the change was made official and the Hijazi Najdi Kingdom became the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

(Source: ArabNews.com)