The Philby Arabia Fund

The Saudi British Society is delighted to welcome a new initiative for 2022 with the launch of The Philby Arabia Fund.

Many members and friends will be familiar with the work of Harry St. John Philby (1885 -1960) who was a British Arabist, adviser, writer and explorer. His writing and images from many years spent in Arabia are deeply evocative and some of those images appear on this page and more will follow.

To keep his memory and his enthusiasm for exploration and knowledge of Arabia alive for future generations, the Philby family has joined with The Saudi British Society to establish The Philby Arabia Fund. This Fund will grant The Philby Arabia Fund Awards to successful applicants who plan to undertake purposeful travel within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

You can contribute to The Philby Arabia Fund by debit or credit card or PayPal here or by entering The Saudi British Society then Search, then under the Charity name heading select Donate, then choose your payment method and Continue. Alternatively you could use one of the payment methods shown below. For confirmation or any payment queries or to join The Saudi British Society please contact the Society’s Hon. Treasurer, Karen Worcester at treasurer@saudibritishsociety.org.uk

For more details about the Awards and the application process, please write to the Society’s Hon. Secretary, Peter Harrigan at secretary@saudibritishsociety.org.uk with your name and contact details with some background for your enquiry.

Successful applicants would be required to present their fieldwork report to the members of The Saudi British Society after completion of their travels. Details of the Awards granted and the expeditions undertaken will appear on the Society’s website.

It is the intention to make the presentation of The Philby Arabia Fund Award an annual event. Should sufficient funds and suitable applications be available, then more than one Award may be granted in any one year. Similarly if there are insufficient funds or no suitable applications then an annual Award would not be granted.

To establish and maintain the Philby Arabia Fund, donations are invited from individuals, companies and other entities resident in the United Kingdom or the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or elsewhere, who would like to support the aims of The Philby Arabia Fund.

For individuals who may pay tax in the United Kingdom there is the option to make their donation qualify for UK Gift Aid so please do choose that option if applicable as it will increase the amount of the donation receivable at no additional cost to you as the donor.

A. For UK-based individuals to make a donation to The Philby Arabia Fund, please use the link below. By making a donation of at least £40, you can become a member of The Saudi British Society for this calendar year should you wish to do so and you will receive further details about membership after making your donation:

B. For UK-based individuals and UK-based entities to make a donation to The Philby Arabia Fund from a UK bank account using BACS, please make your payment using these details

Account name: The Saudi British Society
Sort code: 40-52-40
Account number: 00020176
Bank name and address: CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ, United Kingdom
Beneficiary’s account/IBAN number: GB66CAFB40524000020176
Beneficiary’s address: 1 Gough Square, London EC4A3DE, United Kingdom

C. For overseas-based individuals and overseas entities to make a donation to The Philby Arabia Fund from a non-UK bank account, please make your payment using these details:

Correspondent bank (SWIFT/BIC code):
MIDLGB22XXX
Correspondent bank’s name and address:
HSBC City Corporate Banking Centre, 60 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4N 4TR, United Kingdom
Beneficiary bank SWIFT:
CAFBGB21XXX
Beneficiary’s bank’s name and address:
CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ, United Kingdom
Beneficiary’s account/IBAN number:
GB66CAFB40524000020176
Beneficiary’s account name and address:
The Saudi British Society, 1 Gough Square, London EC4A3DE, United Kingdom