'File 10/8 Overseas trade enquiries' [‎172r] (344/495)

8,
inferior silic fro in China is also procurable in smaller
quantities, but silks imported fron Italy preponderate.
(3) Misl inette and Voile are also imported from India and Italy
i especoi'/ely. Txie lormer is available in different shades especially
black, and^is almost universally used by ^.rab ladies of all classes
for their long trailing overall garment called "Thob". Voile is
used for "Thob" also, as well as for dresses, particularly that bear
ing the embroidered floral design, shown in the appendix under Type A.
(4) wool l?!! ma-t ori a l or f lannelette is imported from
Japan. it is \70rn by ever/ Arab v/oman of Kuwait (lower and middle
classes) during the winter months, and takes the places of what the
'/"est Knows as woollen und 3rgarments.
nead - cloths of ''IQ iaffiyas" . Those of woollen manufacture for
the cold Arabian winter are imported from India primarily and are
sold at a pncD rarging from £0»6.8 to £0.9.4 each. A few come from
Cxerr-iany and are slightly cheaper. Cotton "Khaffiyas" rea dand blue
are principally drawn from Manchester, and the popular kind can be
purchased for iSO.M. These are of co^orse of different siz ;s and
those commonly available are from 14 to 48 inches square. The plain
white cotton Khaffiya witn fringed edge is hov7ever rapidly gaining in
popularity especially in the desert, and is a line British manu
facturers could well take up,
(s) T he si lk f abric /oiowii as Jeza (.made of silk wastings) has an
enormous popularity and in winter is used by almost everyone in Kuwait
and among the tribes, as a warm overgarment to the flannelette under
garment mentioned in 4, above. It is iirported in rolls of 16 yard^s
long at £0.10.0 for the best quality. It is in natural colour and
purdiassrs dye it locally a grass green, black, brown and maroon
colours according to taste, British manufacturers would do well to
try and capture this marKet.
£2ssioilitieG of in cr eased British trade .
Cotton goods and artificial silks constitute by far the most
important import of manufactured goods and is one in which the
British position is being fiercely attacked by strong Italian and
Japanese competition. The total value of the iirports of piece
goods during the last year viz. from 1st April 1929 to 51st March
1930 amounted to £39,023 which was accounted for as under:-