Coll 6/19 'Arabia: (Saudi Arabia) Hejaz-Nejd Annual Report.' [‎75r] (150/540)

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215. During his visit to Paris Dr. Hamouda expressed himself to the
International Health Officer in fulsome terms about health conditions m baudi
Arabia, but without carrying conviction to his hearers.
216 In Jedda, at any rate, some effort has been made to raise the standard
of municipal hygiene. The school children and the soldiers were vaccinated early
in the year while the town crier shouted a warning against foot-and-mouth disease.
Rubbish boxes have been put up and scavenging carts go round to empty such of
them as have not been emptied already by the goats, cats and dogs. Periodical
warnings are now issued in the press against the practice of displaying food-stuff
in shops without protection against dirt and flies.
217 Earlv in the year much was heard of an Italian proposal to build a
hospital in Jedda. But the Saudi Arabian Government did not ag^ee and m the
end P the Italian dispensary similar to those already existing in the British and
Soviet Legations in Jedda was reopened m a larger building m the charge of a
single Italian doctor. Other foreign medical missions were the Egyptian, Dutch
(Javanese) and Afghan, all in Mecca. The Egyptian takya m Mecca is m the
charge of a doctor who engages in medical as well as general charitable work.
218 In September Dr. E. D. Pridie, Director, Sudan Medical Services
visited Jedda on his way to the Sudan. He discussed matters connected with the
medical aspect of the Sudan pilgrimage with the Legation and raised the questm
of sending a Sudanese medical mission for the pilgrimage season. The proposal
was under consideration at the end of the year.
X.— Pilgrimage.
219 The annual pilgrimage report, forwarded to the Foreign Office on the
9th August, gives full information of the 1937 pilgrimage. It is only necessary
then to°make a short reference to it here.
220 Pilgrimage Day, the 9th Dhu 1 Hijjah fell on Saturday, the
20th February Some 80,000 pilgrims were estimated to have been P^ent at
• \rafat of whom 49,957 were from overseas, as against 32,423 last year.
Intensified Saudi propaganda, and better economic conditions, especially m the
East Indies were themain causes of this-to Saudi Arabia-welcome increase.
The increase was most notable in pilgrims from Egypt, Malaya and West Africa,
but M Mussolini and General Franco contributed by their efforts, recorded else
where,' to earn merit by subsidising the Moslem pilgrimage. The only decrease
was in the number of pilgrims from Palestine.
221. The general health of the pilgrims, which was favoured by the good
weather, was again good.
222. Approximate figures for arrivals of pilgrims in the Hejaz by sea are
as follows: —
British and British Administrated-
Indian
Malayan ...
West African
Sudanese ...
Palestinian
Dutch East Indian
Egyptian
Others ...
1936.
8,439
906
2,550
1,196
769
4,540
5,724
8,299
32,423
1937.
10,588
2,524
4,787
1,658
428
6,857
10,226
12,889
49,957
223. 1,185 pilgrims travelled overland to Mecca from Iraq, and for the most
part returned home the same way.
224. Destitute pilgrims, mainly from India, showed a decrease from 662 in
1936 to 234.
925 The bringing of the Mahmal is dealt with in paragraph 164 and the
air service maintained during the return season between Jedda and Medina in
paragraph 204.