Coll 54/2 'Middle East (Official) Committee: Working Party' [‎229r] (457/642)

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1. Behrain oOT^riae* & gwup l:;ir lying iaXajadM
eituatad halfsrey doms the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. 20 alias off the
eaatcm coast of Arabia* The largast ? THtilch. Is known as
Bahrain Island, is about 30 sjiles XC- ndlos wide at
its broadest# l‘he northern end and a ®l;rlp along the western
coast ere well watered and fertile and “sdie rest of the island
is desert# The two most important towns are Manasaah, the
main business centre, and Ht&arraq? The latter is situated
on on island wfcioh is connected with the mdn island by &
oatsoewey two utilee long# The population of the islands ia
estioated at 105*000*
2# Kis Highness the Sheikh rules parsonolly and is assisted
by a British Adviser (C# PalTyspl® Balgrare CcB.Ko) whe perforas
the functions cf Chief Kioieter# The Utate has a nusaber of
other British ea^Ieycen and there was evidence that it iti bei-ng
gradually developed on m&om line ?. The Dtpartoectei include
Public Health, Education, Ifituiicipalities*, Land, Passportj.
Judicial, Police Traffic and Public isocsirity* Pablic Welts,
Pood Control, Cuatoaa, Electricity* A shor$ vioit does not
.justify detailed ocasaents whether tho rate of dcralopmant coaid
have been a»re rapid, but the ii^rssnion I fenced was that, i»
oosuparison with scores of other tcr^jm X hare svrm in the Kiddle
East, Msnai&ah give« the appearance of basing sensibly governed,
orderly, dean on native standards snd progroesive# The
Government 1 s Reports for the years I9h& *»d l%7 record a vast
oaount of good mragement and planwing 9 cron when allowance is
node for a certain n^asure of eKbc-tllshrsont, bat tho expansion
of industrial and oassierelal interests msy inwlv© considoration
of new projects, particularly those oonneoted with social
welfare, public asenities, housing, and othero which Sir Rupert
Hoy is stuch more competent to eugg^s*;*,
3* I was introduced to His Kighnasii tho Sheiid\ by Sir
Rupert and he displayed a keen interest in the conditions of
enrployjaoift of the Oil Company 5 ® woskirs. He raised serf-oral
natters and Sir Rupert and I promised tc enqiiiiw into theow
Be hreira Pe tro loua Ccagar^r#
mrnmmmrmmtmmmmm mutimw —f w——ww—Sk-v
Is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Staadard Oil Company
of California and the Texes Compaq/, in filial shares, registered
as a British company under the lavr. of Oaaa&a* Oil was first
discovered ia June 1932 and the first crude o^X was shipped in
December 1931k» In 1936 a refinery was built and shipiting
foe ill ties suboaxine pipe lin*«fei were eexparidedo The crude
oil production in 1934 vao 235,000 barrels (approx* Tjr bomti» a
1 ton):* in 1947 it was 9 , 410,000 harmtso The cotoi. for 1943 was
higher but X was not given the fig tc« Expansion of drilling continues*
/The refinery «•••••**