Coll 30/217(1) 'Trans-Arabian Pipe Line (Persian Gulf - to Mediterranean)' [‎15v] (30/307)

devoted only to bundling oil shi^ronts* At preoent, inocmlng freight
iaust be unloaded at Res Tunura and re-ahipped by barge to tbe -mil
Arab vill^tge u? al~Khobar* An 18-naile stanoard-^auge railway will
link the nerw port aystem with the oain oil installations*
Kins Xbn-daud is investigating the x^ossibilities of oonatruoting
a long line fr<m the coast here into his Neid capital of Riyadh* In
1^33 his oouniary 1 a budget income was / 6 f OCX) ,000 derived largely frcm the
annual Huslia pilgriiaage to Mecca* Oil royalties axis now at least twice
the country* s entire previous budget and oeveiojaunt is still in its
relative infancy* Little by little it is slowly &:>3ualng its role in
the modern world 1 foreign le gations; representations at the United
Rations; establishment of airlines; sewers, and sohools* As education
and hygiene ^notrate, the physical condition: of the Arabs is changing*
The ability of children to learn in the Company* s sohools is increasing
anc the workers* output is expanding* In llanmaeh, the capital of the
iiahrein Islunus, whex^e oil exploitation preceded that on the mainland,
watches, radios ana bicycles are beootoing more ccuraonplaoe among the
refinery workers* families* Llectrio pavar will probii-bly soon be sold
by ARAfcJDO to an ;trab relaying firm at Dmj&m* Sewage and water syatoos
are being . fanned*
The region has bccouo again a otjnti'C of international attention*
The war years was Britain ceveloping air bases at Bahrein and Shorja, the
Americans at Dhahras* A British base was established at Jupair*
Caapletely western towns have grown liie laushmctas at Awali in Bahrein and
at Dhahran, Hixs Tanura and Abqaio in audi Arabia* New Amerioan oars
owned by the Sheikh or taxi-drivers are to be seen in the bosaars of Manaiaeh
on Bahrein, where the British political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. limits the heikh
to only one—third of the oil royalty profits, distributing the rest
among tbs population or banking it for the Arab*s future*
The various American-held oonoeanions in this area last from 1995
in Bahrein until 20Q9 in Saudi Arabia* This is long enough for the oil
qciqpani^s to lustel huge plants from Bahrein* d new asphalt works - which may eventually
surface the roads of Arabia - to the air-cooling centres of Awali in Bahrein
and Dhahr&n, Ab^aio and Has Tanura* At Has Tanura all signs are posted
in tf^Xish, Arabic and Italian* Hundreds of Italians from igritrea, brought
here under special contract to provide skilled labour, now work side by side
with the Arabs - old entities apparently foi^otten - while Somalia from British
Africa ohaok in at the factory An East India Company trading post. gates under the supervision oi' retired Hew York
traffic "oops***
ARAMCO has brought over 29 Amerioan doctors, nurses and pharmacists and
32 Indians to staff the Oaa:>any hospitals, which are fitted with X-ray egui^jaent
ana surgical vmrus.
, By anu large, this is the opinion of the Company executives; that the ; audi
Ar abian Govemaent is extremely contented with American >...ev©l<^sksnt here and
entertain a very friendly feeling towards the USA, especially on the #*ounds
that it is not an Imperialistic Power*
At the cuxaent, gioniHiu and soviet expansion tc^vards tliB Uiudle dost are
the two principal worries of tb* kooett Govorunont. Despite current piqEU® 011
the Sioniat itssue, hew/ever, the USA returns great influence thro gh the huge
local rex>utatiori of resiuant. Roosevelt, oil vovolc^aient and the presence of
many Arab graeuates in Americsan univoi*sitios at Istanbul, Beirut and Cairo*
H*Y* Ti &;3 ana tatesaan Special f ervioe*
p R' JM GULP HSSIMiCY,
BAHRAITT.
the 2nd January, 1947•
CCri-lPillTIAL
Ho* 4 — •
/Copy