1955 Al-Raghaib Arabic Map of Saudi Arabia and Environs

High Point of Egyptian-Saudi Relations.

This is an unrecorded c. 1955 Arabic-language map of Saudi Arabia prepared by the Al-Ragha'ib Press in Egypt. It was issued during a warm period of Egyptian-Saudi relations, before the two countries became leaders of opposing blocs in the Arab Cold War.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces the Arabian Peninsula from Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Palestine at top to Abyssinia and Socotra Island off the Horn of Africa at botto; the primary focus is on Arabia, particularly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Territorial and administrative boundaries, major roads, and railways (including the long-defunct Hejaz Railway) are traced, while shading indicates terrain. Oil infrastructure is not extensively traced, but the density of roads and information on settlements in northeastern Saudi Arabia around Dammam is a reflection of the already large and still growing oil industry there. At top-right is a portrait of Ibn Saud (Abdulaziz bin Abdu Rahman Al Saud), the founder and first king of Saudi Arabia, while at bottom-left is a compass rose with the distinctive crossed swords that became the official Emblem of Saudi Arabia in 1950.

Historical Context

This map was produced in Egypt during a period of cooperation and coordination between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Both countries were suspicious of the Hashemites in Jordan and Iraq and aligned to oppose the Arab League after 1945 and the Baghdad Pact afterward, as both were seen as tools of Hashemite influence. In the mid-1950s, Egyptian influence in Saudi Arabia increased, including military ties, investment, and educational aid. But Egypt's increasingly confrontational stance under Gamal Abdel Nasser from 1956 - championing the Palestinian cause, aligning with the Soviet Union, and promoting anti-monarchical Arab nationalist forces throughout the region - soured the relationship between the two countries in the late 1950s. The increasing rivalry between the Saudis and Egyptians became a defining feature of the Arab Cold War, with the Saudi reconciling with the Jordanians to form a conservative monarchical bloc. In protracted conflicts such as the North Yemen Civil War, the Egyptians and Saudis were deeply involved in supporting opposing sides.

Publication History and Census

This map was printed by the Al-Ragha'ib Press in Egypt (مطبعة الرغائب بمصر) and is noted as being 'A gift from Al-Qahira [The Cairo] newspaper,' likely a special supplement for subscribers. It is undated but includes the Dammam - Riyadh Railway, completed in 1953, and the portrait of Ibn Saud (d. 1953) is almost certainly posthumous. At the same time, the use of the phrase 'Persian Gulf' (الخليج الفارسي) versus 'Arabian Gulf' (الخليج العربي), which became standard on Arabic maps in the late 1950s, as well as the production of a map of Arabia in Egypt (as discussed above) all suggest a date in the mid-1950s. We are unaware of any other examples of this map in institutional collections or on the market.

Cartographer

Al-Ragha'ib Press (مطبات الراغيب ; fl. c. 1910 - 1960) was a commercial printing house established in Cairo during the early 20th century. Located along Cairo's historic Muhammad Ali Street, the traditional heart of the city's printing and cultural sector, it operated as a flexible private printing company serving independent authors, religious institutions, commercial entities, and newspaper publishers across Egypt. Throughout its operation, the press published a diverse portfolio ranging from classical Islamic jurisprudence and legal reform treatises to contemporary literature, medical handbooks, and theater scripts. It also produced periodicals and special print supplements for newspapers like Al-Qahira (The Cairo), including large-format cartographic releases such as the 1958 map of Saudi Arabia.   Further Details...

Condition

Good. Some wear and repairs splits to old fold lines. Slight loss at fold intersections just left of center.