"ملف 19/212 II (C 47) النقل التجاري في البحرين" [و‎‎٦‎٨] (٥٣٨/١٤٩)

it would be preferable that he should not send a Persian
possible he should be a Gulf Arab and not one frcm Syria
or , Iraq t as Arabs from these places are not altogether
persona grata in Arabia proper,
4. Mr• Bowling told me that they had made arrange
ments with the Sre ikh of Q,atar for an oil store at Doha,
and that the "Khuzistan" was going to call there.
5. l A t * Bowling also told me that they were negotia
ting with Bin Saud about direct shipments of oil by the
"Khuzi8tan H to Ras Tanurah. They were anxious to get
a footing in the oil market of Nejd and tbe Saudi Govern
ment were anxious to develop the port of Ras Tanurah,
The Oil Company had agreed to ship direct provided that
payment would be made either to their Agent or to the
Bank in Bahrain before each shipment was made. Mr.
Dowling thought that this request for payment might
prevent business being done, but he felt that unless
they had money down they might find themselves unable to
recover their debts.
6. I asked Mr. Bowling if he was conversant with
affairs on the Arab Coast, and he said that he was not,
because he had been for the last six years in Northern
Persia, I said that I thought I had better tell him
about the position as regards transit trade in Bahrain
not because I had any wish that he should alter his
business arrangements, as I thought that trade must
necessarily flow along its natural channel^ where profit
as
was to be found, but because it would be^well for him
to know what the position was. I explained briefly
with which Mr. Bowling cordially agreed^and that if
that/