Coll 30/29 'Persian Gulf, Kuwait: Trade Reports 1930/31 to 19..' [‎69v] (138/408)

4
25. Air Service. —Imperial Airways stopped calling
at Kuwait as from 23rd February 1938.
26. Security. —The Kuwait-Basra route is quite
safe, but perhaps the same cannot be said of minor
routes between Kuwait and the hinterland. This
is because of the desert nature of the country, occu
pied only by nomad tribes, who are not above
occasionally raiding a caravan carrying merchan
dise, etc., should the local powers that be for a moment
relax.
(H) Social.
27. Standard of Living. —The majority of Kuwait
population are poor and about 10,000 souls (out
of a total of approximately 60,000) have to eke out
an existence on little more than one anna a day
each, while most of the Bedouin population subsist
on camel’s milk and dates. The standard of living
is thus seen to be low but the people on the whole
are happy and appear content enough with their
lot: The cost of living is cheap. A quarter of an
anna will buy a large loaf of bread.
28. Employment. —Pearl fishing is the chief in
dustry of the inhabitants of the town. Apart from
some 2,000 persons engaged in business and other
minor occupations, the rest of the population depend
for their livelihood on pearl fishing directly or in
directly.
The pearl season starts about the end of May
and continues for the best part of the summer.
The Kuwait pearling fleet consists of 700 boats but
only 200 to 300 boats put to sea in recent years.
The pearl trade absorbs about 6 to 7 thousand men
in various capacities, viz., Nakhudas of boats, divers
and haulers.
An additional one thousand persons find employ
ment in subsidiary trades like manufacture of boat
sails, ropes, fish oil, etc.
Since, as mentioned above the pearl season lasts
only for about five months in the year, divers and
others have to look for employment in other direc
tions for the remainder of the time. About half
of them take to sea, fishing, wood cutting, etc., the
rest becoming coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. and engaging in petty trading
or going out into the desert with camels and sheep.
29. Evidence of Emigration . —In spite of the poverty
and lack of sufficient employment, which have been
aggravated by the depressed condition of the
pearl trade during the past few years, there is no
tendency to emigrate among the people of Kuwait.
On the other hand a number of Persian, Iraqi and
Nejdi immigrants have in the recent past taken up
residence in Kuwait.
30. Municipal Services. —Kuwait is believed to
be the cleanest and also perhaps the healthiest
town in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . This is partly due to the
comparatively dry and wholesome climate of the
place, and partly to the comparatively efficient
municipal services.
During the past few years some of the narrow and
overcrowded bazaars of the town have been widened
and otherwise improved by the Municipality.
A new fish market and an abbatoir were built by
the Municipality during the year under review.
PART in.
Exchange.
Months.
Rate
PER
100 Maria
Theresa
Dollars.
Sovereign.
Rs.
a.
P.
Rs. A.
P.
April, 1937
.
.
115
6
0
22 5
0
May, 1937
.
113
0
0
22 5
6
June, 1937
.
.
112
0
0
22 7
0
July, 1937
.
.
110
0
0
22 8
0
August, 1937 .
.
.
110
0
0
22 8
0
September, 1937
.
.
108
0
0
22 9
0
October, 1937 .
.
.
106
0
0
22 10
0
November, 1937
.
.
105 12
0
22 10
0
December, 1937
.
.
105
0
0
22 11
0
January, 1938 .
.
105
0
0
22 11
0
February, 1938
104
0
0
22 10
0
March, 1938
103
0
0
22 9
0
List of Prominent Merchants.
Name.
Line.
Remarks.
1. Abdur Rahman bin
Wholesale dealer in
One of the richest of
Muhammad bin
rice, sugar, tea,
matches, piece-
goods, etc.
local merchants.
Bahar.
2. Muhammad and
Overseas shipping
Ditto.
Thunayyan al
f* trade.
Ghanim.
3. Ahmed bin Muham-
Contractor and
mad al Ghanim.
dealer in machi
nery.
4. Yusuf bln Issa &
Rice, tea, sugar etc.
Bros.
5. Abdul Karim Abul .
Ditto.
6. Sultan bin Issa
Ditto.
7. Sayid All bin Sayid
General merchant.
sulaiman.
8. Muhammad sa'id
Ditto .
One of the richest of
Muhammad
local merchants.
Zaman.
9. Muhammad ’Aqil
Wholesale dealer in
Ditto.
Muham mad
piece-goods.
Zaman.
10. Abdul Aziz al-Gandi
Ditto.
11. Abbas bin Mirza
Ditto.
Husain.