مجموعة ٣٠/٢ "الخليج الفارسي، الكويت: تقارير التجارة ١٩٣٠/١٩٣١ إلى ××١٩" [و‎‎٢‎٩] (٤٠٨/٥٧)

Report on the Trade of Kuwait for the year 1939-40.
(1 st April 1939 to 31st March 1940.)
BY
Major A. C. Galloway, O.B.E.,
Political Agent, Kuwait.
PART I.
1. General. —See Trade Report for 1938-39.
2. Currency. —The price of the sovereign fluc
tuated between Rs. 26 and Rs. 58 during the year.
At the close it stood at Rs. 35.'
3. Weights and Measures. —No change.
4. Pearl Fishing. —Value of the catch was
approximately Rs. 1,80.000.
5. Cutoms Administration ''j
and Lighterage. |
6. Sea Fisheries. ^See last report.
»
1
7. Freights Shipping and |
Navigation. J
8. Communications. —Negotiations were con
cluded for the taking over by Messrs. Cable and
Wireless Ltd. of the Postal and Telegraphic
services in Kuwait. They are at present run
by the Iraqi Government.
9. Boat Building. —Nineteen large boats
valued at between ten and thirty thousand
rupees each were built during the year in
addition to a large number of smaller craft.
The chief boat-builders of Kuwait are :
1. Thinayyan.
2. A1 Saqr.
3. Haj Ahmad.
4. Shaheen A1 Ghanim.
10. Labour. —See last report.
11. The year 1939-40. —By to'i > end of the year
the war had no appreciable effect on Kuwaiti
Trade.
12. Imports. —Imports showed a slight rise
over last year’s figure, chiefly from India and
the Persian Coast.
Analysis of imports are : 3 - 88 per cent, from
the Arab Coast ; 44-84 per cent, from India ;
7 - 86 per cent, from Iraq ; 18 - 23 per cent, from
the Persian Coast ; 0-14 per cent, from the
United Kingdom ; 4‘77 per cent, from Japan ;
and 20*28 per cent, from other countries.
13. Exports. —There was a general and notice
able drop in exports from Kuwait both by
steamer and country craft. This is mainly
accounted for by war conditions and the necessity
to preserve stocks.
14. Rainfall —
April 1939 4-91'
December 1939 .... 0’24'
January 1940
February 1940
March 1940 .
O’89'
2*47'
014 '
15. Public Health and Medical .—The health of
the town remained good during the year, and
there were no epidemics.
A Syrian doctor was engaged by the Kuwait
Government. He is in-charge of the State
Dispensary and is assisted by a dresser and a
compounder.