'Adminisistration [Administration] Reports 1931-1935' [‎85r] (169/416)

Arab Side.
w Aviation.—Imperial Airways continued their weekly service—East and
VVest -tJn oughout the year and with the exception of a few forced landings no
incidents of a serious nature took place. Kuwait is now included as a regular
port of call.
Royal Air Force Flying Boats continued to patrol the coast during the year
and a few flights of land machines were also made.
The long flight from Gwadur across the Arabian Sea to Sharjah is proving
an awkward obstacle to cope with since the necessity for carrying large sup^
plies of petrol compels the restriction of the number of passengers carried.
For political reasons the Arabian route is still closed to private aviators.
Cruise of the First Destroyer Flotilla in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .—From Septem
ber to October 1933 the First Destroyer Flotilla of the Mediterranean Fleet
made a cruise of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. visiting Henjam, Basidu, the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. ,
Bahrain, Kuwait and Muscat. The cruise of this force created a good impres
sion on the Arab side.
Oil Interests .—Competition for the Kuwait Oil Concession was carried out
by the rival companies—the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and the Eastern and
General Syndicate--until May, when the Shaikh declared that he had decided
to give it to neither party for the time being. By the end of the year the Angio-
Persian Oil Company and the Eastern and General Syndicate had decided to
join forces under the title of the Kuwait Oil Company and approach the Shaikh
for a concession.
The Bahrain Petroleum Company Limited, Bahrain, continued actively to
exploit their concession in erecting buildings, plants, and sinking of well. Dur
ing the year a number of wells were sunk which were understood to give pro
mise of a good yield of oil and the Company contemplated shipping oil from
the middle of 1934. The Company during the year introduced a number of
British subjects amongst their personnel and as regards their superior staff
these numbered 8 compared with 19 Americans.
Qatar .—The Anglo-Persian Oil Company under the terms of their two-year
agreement with the Shaikh of Qatar carried out several geological surveys. Their
efforts to obtain a definite concession had not by the end of the year met with
success.
Kuuait.—Date Gardens .—Nothing further of a definite nature towards a
solution of this very difficult problem was accomplished during the year.
Pearling. —This, the staple industry of Kuwait, had a slightly better season
than those of the last four preceding years.
Smuggling .—Smuggling into ’Iraq from Kuwait continued to be pursued
during the year due to the high import tariffs maintained by the former. The
’Iraq Government endeavoured unsuccessfully to persuade the Shaikh of Kuwait
to take upon himself the onus of stopping smuggling from his territory. Aw.
attempt by His Majesty’s Ambassador at Baghdad to call a conference there
between the representatives of Kuwait and ’Iraq to discuss this problem, unfor
tunately came to nothing owing to the attitude of the Shaikh.
As an important factor in this problem it must be remembered that while
Kuwaitis are amongst those who actually smuggle goods by sea into ’Iraq terri
tory from Kuwait, on land it is the ’Iraki tribesmen themselves who are the
carriers—Kuwait being merely the market where they purchase their goods.
In April and again in October Kuwait dhows were fired upon by armed
’Iraq Customs launches in what was alleged to be Kuwait waters and casual
ties to Kuwait boatmen were sustained. The ’Iraq Government’s reply to
representations made on behalf of the Shaikh was that the incidents took place
in ’Iraq waters.
Blockade.—i\m Sand’s blockade of exports into Saudi Arabia from Kuwait
was rigorously enforced during the year. This naturally continued to cause
considerable loss to the inhabitants of the Principality who are largely depend
ent on their transit trade.
Bahrain.—Pearl in c.—l'he catch for 1933 is reported to have been poor
in quality and quantity and the market stagnant. Several leading pearl mer
chants suggested the advisability of closing the pearl banks for the season.
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