Great Britain encouraged Arab revolts against the Ottoman Empire as a way to weaken it during the First World War. It promised them independent kingdoms and was also interested in a trade relationship after the war. Sharif Hussein, who was the Emir of Mecca, was an Ottoman ally. But after learning Turkish plans to get rid of him after the war, he was disatisfied. He entered in contact with London through the famous agent T.E. Lawrence. In his exchanges with the British, he made it clear that he expected to be appointed the ruler of a new, large Arab state after the war.
