Coll 6/88 'Intelligence: Military Report on Arabia (C.B. 1892).' [‎29r] (62/133)

31
Principal Buildings
Many of the principal buildings are suitable for billeting troops. The Green Palace,
Barracks and Aerodrome which lie to the north-eastward outside the town are also suitable.
Extensive buildings, including offices, storerooms, workshops and living quarters, have
been built by the Saudi-Arabian Mining Syndicate on the north shore of MANGABA Bay.
about 1| miles north of the town.
(4) Government Establishments
The only military establishments are :—
The barracks, which lie to the north-east of the town. This is a low square building,
70 by 50 yards, around an open court yard, which can hold about 200 regulars and all
the military stores at Jedda. There are three muzzle-loading Turkish field guns for
saluting purposes.
The aerodrome {see paragraph (7)).
Police headquarters and prison, which lie inside the wall on the north-west corner of the
town.
(5) Commercial Establishments
There, are no commercial shipbuilding or engineering concerns or facilities for repair
work.
The average stocks of petrol and paraffin kept by the various British importing firms is
about 60,000 gallons of each. There is no oil fuel available.
Immediately north of MANGABA Bay are three tanks for diesel oil which are the property
of the Saudi-Arabian Mining Syndicate. Two of these tanks have a capacity of 2,000 tons
each and the other tank a capacity of 1,000 tons.
(7) Air Facilities
For Aeroplanes
There are three landing grounds in the neighbourhood of the town, one to the north-east,
one, which is a newer one, to the north just outside the Medina Gate, and one about 1| miles
further to the north, which is used by the Saudi-Arabian Mining Syndicate (an Anglo-
American concern working gold mines about 280 ft. inland). There are no repair facilities.
The inner anchorage should be suitable for seaplane work. The shore reef to the north
of the town is of flat coral type, which might easily be converted into a slipway. Flying
boats could operate from and moor in the inner anchorage, but owing to the narrowness of
the clear channel in an east-west direction, operating would probably be restricted in easterly
or westerly winds.
(9) Power Plants
Messrs. Gellatly, Hankey & Co.’s electric lighting plant. No others known.
(10) Transport Facilities
KHEDIVIAL mail ships and Italian coastal ships call weekly, and boats of Strick Line
at rather longer intervals, of about a month. During the season numbers of large ships call
to bring pilgrims.
Roads
There are no metalled roads, but desert tracks suitable for cars and light lorries run to
MECCA, MEDINA and to the north and south along the coast. A sum of £50,000 has
been earmarked, however, for widening and paving the road to MECCA, and it is expected
that the work will shortly be completed. MECCA can be reached in 2J hours (40 miles)
and MEDINA (200 miles) in two days when the track is in good condition. There are a few
cars in the town and an increasing number of trucks and 12-seater buses, which are displacing
the former more primitive forms of transport for the pilgrim traffic.
Rail and Air
There are no railways or air services.
(11) Signal Communications
(a) Telegraph
There is one submarine cable to PORT SUDAN, run jointly by the Sudan Government
and the Eastern Telegraph Company, and a land line to MECCA and TAIF, <<