Darien Airport

Darien Airport
General information
Type	Airport
Location	Darien island, Qatif governorate
Country	Saudi Arabia

Darien Airport or 'Al-Rafaia Airport, as it is called, according to British documents, the Hejaz Najdi Air Force on Darien Island and Darien Air Station. An archaeological and historical airport located in Darin, southwest

Tarut Island, in the Qatif Governorate, east of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.There is no exact date for when the airport was built, but it is likely that the airport was established in 1329 AH / 1911-1912 AD during the First World War. Dareen Airport is a military airport, and is considered the oldest and first airport in the history of Saudi Arabia, and the first airport in the Persian Gulf after Manama Airport in Bahrain a plane used to land at Darien Airport every week coming from Gudaibiya Airport located in Manama. He stopped working in 1932 AD and was abandoned in 1939 AD leaving only the fuel depot room, which is isolated from the building and the runway, which was 600 meters away from the sea coast. The last room was left unattended behind a fence and an identification board, the threat of its collapse prompted historians and historical researchers to demand that it be restored and opened to visitors.

Geography

Darien Airport is located in the Al-Rafaia area, located in the northeastern side of the town of Darien, on Tarut Island in Qatif. Darien Airport is 600 meters from the coast of Ramlet Al-Baida Beach.The area on which the airport is located occupies a large piece of the coast that extends longitudinally, and its land is characterized by hardness, severity and flatness as a result of the saturation of its sandy soil with water, while this piece of land is characterized by being devoid of rocks and natural barriers , with a total area of ​​approximately 1 km2. The airport borders the sea to the east, Mazraat al-Kuwaiti to the north , Riyadh Street to the west , and Darin to the south, and the airport is about 300 meters away from the current Al-Jazira Club site in Darin.

Planning

In the past, the airport consisted of 3 small rectangular rooms, two of which were adjacent, and the rooms were built of mud, sea stones, and mattresses. Nearby, a column of wood called Al-Bandira stands between the two rooms on the western side. A kerosene lantern is hung at the top for lighting by means of ropes to guide the planes at night, and it is fixed to a base of iron. Clay marine stones and rocks. Al-Bandira is more than 100 meters away from the two airport rooms, towards the west, and has a height of 20 meters. The municipality of Tarout removed it in 1970 AD. There is another extreme room located northwest of Al-Bandira, and this room is still the only one that exists so far, and until recently it included several parts of an old disassembled and stored .plane

Creation

It is believed that Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Shawoosh - one of the elderly people from Darin - was famous and an expert in securing and installing the masts of large sailing ships, and due to the large size of the wooden pole, it was not possible to lift it to the work team assigned to build the airport, and to install Al-Bandira in its place despite repeated attempts. failed; So they used the shawsh, who dug a deep hole at the base of the wooden column. And tied the top of the column with three branches of strong ropes. The right and left of these ropes were a single rope, and were intended to balance the column during the lifting process. As for the middle rope, it was a double rope passing through a pulley, and function This pulley facilitates the process of gradually tightening the rope, completing the task of lifting the shaft.

Indeed, Al-Shawoosh managed the process of lifting Al-Bandira successfully, and was able to install the column in its specified position, so he was applauded, and rewarded by contracting with him to supply water to the airport daily in exchange for a lump sum of money. After that, the builders completed the construction of an oval base of stones and mud, about two meters high, surrounding the bottom of the column. Thus, this column was erected in the yard of Darien Airport, to raise a kerosene lamp on it to guide planes at night to the landing site.

Aviation history in the region

The first sighting of aircraft by the people of the eastern region was old. We came across a letter from King Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud, written in 1924 AD, that is, after the conquest of Al-Ahsa and Al-Qatif for a period not exceeding ten years only, in which the king mentions the news of the flight of a number of English planes over the eastern coast, and the following is the text of the message:

In The Name of Allah Most Gracious Most Merciful

From Abdul Aziz to His Excellency (Colonel Briddox), Chief Delegate of the British Government in the Gulf.

We inform you that we have received multiple reports from across the coast, and the heads of the clans tell that they saw planes flying over our wild coasts, and since this leads to confusion among the people, and gives the matter various interpretations, I ask that you raise to your honorable government that I do not see planes flying over my country without prior permission. from U.S.

Seal: Abdul Aziz

17 Dhul Qi'dah 1342 A.H. June 1924 A.D

While the first acquaintance of the people of the eastern region with aircraft was when the Saudi government established a flight school on Darien Island and bought 4 British-made Westland and Petit Mark 2 aircraft on Rajab 29, 1348 AH - December 30, 1929 AD, but the study project faltered Due to the large number of accidents and technical and logistical difficulties in maintenance and obtaining spare parts, the project and the existing 4 aircraft were transferred to Jeddah Airport on September 15, 1930.

Britain's relationship with Darien airport

The two English warships (Laboing and Bahrain), led by Captain Goldsmith, and the steam warship (Redburst), led by Captain Louis Mallet, camped near the coasts of Qatif, Ras Tanura and Dareen during the period from 1908-1912 AD, i.e. during the six years preceding 1914 AD, which is the year in which it began. World War during this period between (1908 AD - 1912 AD). The director of the Ottoman Qatif district (Qa’im Maqam) was suffering from two issues as a result of the increasing frequency and intensity of the attacks of the desert men from the two tribes (Sabi’ and Al-Amayer) on the Qatif oasis and its villages, and what made matters worse was the manifestation of the English interventions in the Qatif district by offering English warships to the Turkish

director to intervene for protection and reduce these attacks.

It is certain that the British leaders were not keen on the survival of the Ottoman authority in the region, but rather this concern was an attempt by them to create pretexts and arguments to break the official agreements between the two countries, which stipulate that England recognizes the subordination of all lands of Qatif, Al-Ahsa, and Qatar to the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, any request made by the Ottoman Empire to seek help could be interpreted as an inability to control these lands, and therefore Britain finds itself justified to intervene under the pretext of preserving the security of its subjects and its trade in the region.

Establishment of the airport

Britain took advantage of the entry of Saudi forces into the oases of Al-Ahsa and Al-Qatif in 1913 AD as a pretext to move directly, and land the soldiers stationed in the two warships (La Boeing, Bahrain and Wardburst), and thus completing the establishment of Darien Airport in 1914 AD, as a place to set foot first, and then to fill the void left by the withdrawal of the Ottomans from the region. King Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud, the founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, did not yet have experience in the field of aviation, and therefore he was not able to establish an airport, or activate an air force to be used in this region. Oral narratives can also guide us to the origin of this. The airport, by repeatedly linking its foundation to England in more than one place and occasion, the historian Ali Al-Durora mentioned in his book (From the History of Tarut Island) quoting from the stories of the people of the island that the English were the ones who built Darin Airport, and in this context also we find that the historian Abdul-Azim Al-Mushikhas mentions Another narration quoted by fathers in his book (Al-Qatif and its accessories) mentions that the planes present at this airport belong to Britain and quoting from the memoirs of the notable Abdullah Fuad in his book (The Journey of Perseverance and Challenge), in which he mentioned that his stepfather was working as a translator at Darin Airport in 1932 AD, And that this airport was connected at that time to the island of Bahrain, colonized by England, with a weekly flight. Also, the association of King Abdulaziz Al Saud with Britain was proven in 1916 AD with the Darien Agreement for protection, which was found directly by King Abdul Aziz annexing the Al-Qatif and Al-Ahsa oases, and according to one of the oral narrations that King Abdulaziz Al Saud signed this famous Darien Agreement with England at Darin Airport, This narration supports the hypothesis that the airport was established in that period associated with the evacuation of the Ottoman forces from the region.

Darien airport and the Qatif crisis

Due to the difficult economic conditions represented by Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Al Swailem, the Emir of Qatif during the period (1913-1928 AD), the Saudi government was forced to collect taxes from the people to finance the Saudi army fighters in the Hijaz region and elsewhere. This tax was called (jihad), and with the entry of the year 1929 A.D. orders were issued to double this tax, and it was called (the Muthanna Jihad), and as a result of the hardship of the situation and the scarcity of what was in hand, the owners of palm plantations revolted from the people of Qatif and its villages, as the segment of farmers was the segment most affected by the imposition of this tax, so the disaffected crowds moved, and besieged the residence of the Emir of Qatif in In Island, and the administration of Darin Airport was informed of the news of the revolution of the people in Qatif, so orders were issued to arm the people of Darin to provide assistance to the emir besieged in Qatif, and to prepare warning leaflets received by the stationed plane At Darin Airport, leaflets were actually prepared and thrown at the rebels, so the handover took place immediately, so the men of Darin moved to the Darwishiyah, and broke the siege on the Emir of Qatif, and according to an eyewitness account, the pilot who Flying the plane was a Saudi citizen of Egyptian origin named Talaat.the meantime, one of the men of the Emir of Qatif was able to sneak out of the Darwishiyah, and reach Darin

Island, and the administration of Darin Airport was informed of the news of the revolution of the people in Qatif, so orders were issued to arm the people of Darin to provide assistance to the emir besieged in Qatif, and to prepare warning leaflets received by the stationed plane At Darin Airport, leaflets were actually prepared and thrown at the rebels, so the handover took place immediately, so the men of Darin moved to the Darwishiyah, and broke the siege on the Emir of Qatif, and according to an eyewitness account, the pilot who Flying the plane was a Saudi citizen of Egyptian origin named Talaat.

Its end

A squad of the Saudi army was sent around 1963, to Darien Airport to remove the remaining planes and boxes of missiles that were still stored until that date in the airport rooms, and the remains of Darien Airport remained visible according until 1970 when they were completely removed by order of the municipality of Tarut.

Civil demands

The airport is considered one of the oldest airports in the Arabian Peninsula, and it is the oldest airport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but in recent times there has been less interest in it and increased neglect, which led to the cracking of the room, which remained the only witness to the existence of the airport. Residents, archaeological researchers, and those interested in antiquities in the region demanded the intervention of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage to restore the room, which was still standing before it collapsed completely, as it is considered one of the archaeological monuments in the region. The Vice-Chairman of the National Social Development Committee, Darin Issa Al-Hamdan, said: The interest of the Tourism Authority in Sharkia in what remains of Dareen Island Airport is important, so that this remains a historical landmark for future generations.

While the historian, Engineer Jalal Al-Haroun, said: We suggest that the airport land area be an arena for celebrations and crafts, and an open exhibition that tells the history of aviation during the era of the founder, King Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud, noting the importance of linking the site to the Saqr Al-Jazeera Aviation Museum in Riyadh affiliated with the Ministry of Aviation, to be a branch Affiliated to that museum in the eastern region, especially since the Saqr Al-Jazeera Museum has a special wing for the history of Darien Island Airport. The supervisor of the Darin Visitor Center, Fathi Al-Binali, said: A number of the people of Darin and Tarut had previously expressed their willingness to restore the room at their own expense, and they did not find approval. Historical sites and highlighting them as tourist attractions for visitors to the region, as the place chronicles an important part of the contemporary history of the Kingdom.

Restoration and maintenance

• January, 2009 AD: Orders were issued by Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz on January 8, 2009 AD to allocate the site of Darin Airport to be a museum related to King Abdulaziz aircraft.
• January, 2015 AD: The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities in the Eastern Province began developing the site of the historic Darin Airport and allocating it as a museum for King Abdulaziz Aircraft on January 11, 2015 AD, when a committee was formed from several sides to redevelop the airport.
• March, 2016: The branch of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage began fencing the airport site on March 27, 2016. The branch of the commission stated at the time that there are procedures and arrangements with partners regarding the development of the site. The move of the branch of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage in Sharqia comes after the residents and a number of archaeological researchers demanded And those interested in antiquities, with the commission’s intervention; To restore the room, which is still standing before it collapsed, and which has become one of the archaeological sites in the region.

See also

• Hejaz Air Force.
• Imperial Airways.
• Darien Castle
• Tarut Castle.
• Qatif Castle.
• Abdulaziz Al-Saud
• Darren.

References

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