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Young, Shahla Rahman (2012) Changing women's lives. PhD Thesis. http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/15944 Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non‐commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder/s. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. When referring to this thesis, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given e.g. AUTHOR (year of submission) "Full thesis title", name of the School or Department, PhD Thesis, pagination. MORE THAN JUST A BOUNDARY DISPUTE: THE REGIONAL GEOPOLITICS OF SAUDI-YEMENI RELATIONS Fadhl Al-Maghafi Thesis submitted for the degree of PhD 2012 Faculty of Law and Social Science School of Oriental and African Studies University of London (Vol. 1/3) 1 DECLARATION FOR PHD THESIS I HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD REGULATION 17.9 OF THE REGULATIONS FOR STUDENTS OF THE SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES CONCERNING PLAGIARISM. I UNDERTAKE THAT ALL THE MATERIAL PRESENTED FOR EXAMINATION IS MY OWN WORK AND HAS NOT BEEN WRITTEN FOR ME, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, BY ANY OTHER PERSON. I ALSO UNDERTAKE THAT ANY QUOTATION OR PARAPHRASE FROM THE PUBLISHED OR UNPUBLISHED WORK OF ANOTHER PERSON HAS BEEN DULY ACKNOWLEDGED IN THE WORK WHICH I PRESENT FOR EXAMINATION. SIGNED: FADHL AL-MAGHAFI DATE: 1 OCTOBER 2012 2 Abstract: This thesis questions whether the territorial solution reached with the Jeddah Treaty of June 2000 can put an end to Saudi-Yemeni disputes. The aim is not to deny that instrument’s significance but to place the territorial relationship within the more wide-ranging context of Saudi-Yemeni relations as a whole. It pays particular attention to two themes anchored in Yemeni domestic politics – lingering notions of historic national territories and the enduring belief that Yemeni state territory has been lost. The boundary evolution process is scrutinised from its colonial legacy to the unequal power bases of regional relations in southern Arabia. It is argued that complex territorial aspects of Saudi-Yemeni relations can still pose a risk to regional stability today and that reaching agreement on a boundary has not and does not make necessarily for better neighbours. Hence the Saudi-Yemeni dilemma is (and always has been) more than just a boundary dispute. The Jeddah treaty resolved a dispute that had been running for decades. Just to complicate things, the earlier Saudi-Yemeni territorial definition introduced by the 1934 Taif treaty was confirmed in the 2000 instrument. The territorial stipulations of 1934 had always been seen as unjust in Yemen. Yemeni President Saleh had himself described the 1934 arrangements in the 1990s as unjust and impossible to accept, “...the surrendering of Yemeni territories that were gained during an unbalanced conquest of war between Yemen and its stronger and wealthier neighbour”. Yet the Yemeni President’s role in the conclusion of the Jeddah treaty was central, Saleh clearly regarding it as one of his major achievements. Though he was widely complemented at the turn of the noughties as an enabler, criticism of the territorial outcome of June 2000 soon began to mount, even from those who had worked towards the agreement’s conclusion. 3 Acknowledgments: Now that my thesis is complete, it is time to thank those who have helped me in carrying this extensive piece of research to fruition. I have realised that the list of people I need to thank is endless. Not only do I owe thanks to those whose incredible research I have drawn upon in my thesis, without whose efforts I could not have completed my PhD, but I must also thank the people in the libraries I have depended upon for my research, who were very helpful to me: notably the staff at The National Archives, the British Library and the SOAS Library. This has been a long journey for me: as a father, as a student and, of course, as someone in full-time work. To achieve this often daunting task I have needed the support and patience of so many, but there are those who have suffered with me night and day: in particular, my supervisor Richard Schofield, who has guided me from the very beginning, and whose ideas and thoughts have been eminent and invaluable. Last but certainly not least, my undying gratitude goes to my parents my sisters, my brothers and my amazing wife, Samiha, and to my children: Mona, Manal, Nawal, Noha, Leyan and Muhammad, whose understanding, love and patience have made it possible for me to work and study. Your support has been unstinting from the very start, and has continued to be so ever since. This is for you. 4 A BSTRACT: .................................................................................................................................................. 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: ................................................................................................................................. 4 LIST OF FIGURES: .......................................................................................................................................... 9 LIST OF APPENDICES:.................................................................................................................................. 12 NOTE ON TRANSLATIONS: .......................................................................................................................... 17 TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS: ........................................................................................................................ 18 LIST OF DRAMATIS PERSONAE: .................................................................................................................. 20 CHAPTER 1: ................................................................................................................................................ 28 1. MORE THAN JUST A BOUNDARY DISPUTE: THE REGIONAL GEOPOLITICS OF SAUDI-YEMENI RELATIONS 28 1.1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 28 1.2. ISSUES AND ARGUMENTS ...................................................................................................................... 33 1.3. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ............................................................................................................... 40 1.4. THE METHODOLOGY AND FRAMEWORK .................................................................................................. 43 1.4.1. Construction of nations and territorial legitimacy .................................................................... 47 1.4.2. The evolution of the Saudi-Yemeni boundary ............................................................................ 70 1.4.3. The future of the Jeddah resolution........................................................................................... 78 1.5. CONCLUDING REMARKS ........................................................................................................................ 82 CHAPTER 2: ................................................................................................................................................ 88 2. SAUDI-YEMENI RIVALRY OVER ASIR AND NAJRĀN ............................................................................ 88 2.1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 88 2.2. THE ROOTS OF THE SAUDI-YEMENI DISPUTE OVER ASIR AND NAJRĀN ............................................................ 90 2.2.1. Uncertainty regarding the legal and political status of Asir ...................................................... 90 2.2.2. End of the plan for Asir as a separate administrative district ................................................... 94 2.3. COMPLEXITY OF THE ISSUE OF ASIR ......................................................................................................... 98 2.3.1. Creation of the Idrisis’ Emirate .................................................................................................. 99 2.3.2. Efforts toward the recognition of Asir as the Idrisis’ territory ................................................. 102 2.4. THE INTENSIFICATION OF THE SAUDI-YEMENI DISPUTE OVER LAND .............................................................. 105 2.4.1. Early Saudi-Yemeni negotiations ............................................................................................. 108 2.4.2. Defensive convention or request for ultimate recognition of the status-quo? ........................ 113 2.5. THE FAILURE OF NEGOTIATIONS ............................................................................................................ 115 5 2.5.1. Postponement of the resolution of the territorial dispute ....................................................... 116 2.5.2. The Abhā Conference............................................................................................................... 120 2.5.3. Peace efforts at stake .............................................................................................................. 121 2.6. CONCLUDING REMARKS.....................................................................................................................