Coll 30/80 'Trade: Reports on Persian Gulf Market and trading possibilities' [‎129v] (259/712)

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COMMERCIAL SUMMARY.
Currency. —In Bahrain, Muscat and Kuwait the Indian rupee is most
commonly used for transactions with foreign countries. The monetary unit
in Persia is the rial which in 1933-34 (21st March to 20th March) had an
average value of 82 to the pound sterling.
Banks. —There are branches of the Imperial Bank of Persia in Bushire,
Mohammerah, Abadan, Ahwaz and Basra; of the National Bank of Pei^^
in Bushire, Bandar Abbas, Mohammerah and Ahwaz; of the Eastern Bflp
in Basra and Bahrain; and of the Ottoman Bank in Basra.
Weights and Measures. —On the Arab side of the Gulf English weights and
measures are generally used for trade with foreign countries.
In Persia the unit of weight is the man which varies from place to place,
but what is known as the Tabriz man is the most generally used. One Tabriz
man is equal to 6 , 5456 lbs., and one kharvar (100 Tabriz man) is equal to
approximately six hundredweight.
Merchants who have dealings with foreign countries are usually familiar also
with English weights and measures.
Steamship Services. —The British India Steam Navigation Company runs a
weekly fast mail service between Bombay and Basra, leaving Bombay on
Thursdays, Karachi on Sundays, Bushire on Wednesdays, and Mohammerah
on Thursdays. Ships arrive at Basra on Thursdays and leave on Saturdays
for the return voyage.
The weekly slow mail service is scheduled to leave Bombay on Wednesdays
for Karachi, Muscat, Bandar Abbas, Henjam, Bahrain, Bushire, Kuwait,
Mohammerah and Basra, and calls on alternate weeks either at Gwadur,
Jask, Sharjah and Dibai, or at Pasni, Charbar and Lingah. The time
taken from Bombay to Basra is approximately 14 days. Rates of freight
can be obtained on application to Messrs. Mackinnon Mackenzie <fc Co.,
Bombay, or from the Company’s office in London.
The Strick line runs a monthly service of cargo steamers between the
United Kingdom and the Gulf Ports.
The German Hansa line also maintains a monthly service from Hamburg
and the Italian Lloyd Triestino Company has recently started a two monthly
service from Trieste.
Air Services. —The weekly service of Imperial Airways flying between
London and Singapore calls at Basra, Kuwait, Bahrain, Sharjah and
Gwadur. The aeroplanes of the K.L.M. (Royal Dutch Air Lines) and the
Air France flying weekly between London and the Far East" call at Bushire
and Jask.
Climatic conditions. —The climate of the Gulf is on the whole fairly uniform.
The hot weather lasts from May to October and these months are unpleasant
chiefly on account of the relatively high humidity which is general throughout
the Gulf and which attains its maximum at Bahrain. The winter months
are cold and dry. English residents normally wear ordinary English clothing
from early November to mid-April and light cotton clothing during the
rest of the year, when sun helmets are also worn. Visitors who arrive
between seasons must be prepared for sudden changes of temperature.