مجموعة ٦/ ٤٨ "النفط: امتيازات في المملكة العربية السعودية. (الأحساء)" [و‎‎١‎٧] (١١٥٣/٣٣)

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and bustle at the port, where boats were being loaded with lucerne for
Bahrain and ’aalug* (dates boiled when immature) and ’dibs 1 (date juice)
for India. (Iwae told that the embargo on the export of dates from
^,atif did not apply to ’salug* and ♦dibs*).
6. The Amir of A1 Khobar was present when his brother, the Amir of
Q.atif, entertained me to tea. In accordance with a suggestion lah ich 1
had previously made to Mr. Ohliger the conversation was directed by him
to the subject of food supplies. The Amirs of A1 Khobar and ^atif,
who are reported to have made large fortunes during the last six months
by the part they have taken dhirxggxt^crx'tairtxiitxxniBiKtMg in manipulating
food prices, displayed no embarrassment in discussing the subject. They
stated that they had recently been instructed by Ibn Saud to make a cen
sus of stocks of food and that there were, apart from Government stocks,
8000 bags of rice in ^.atif and 15000 bags in Hofuf. They also stated
that they had received orders the previous day that the selling price
of rice and dates was to be controlled. Maximum selling prices were to
be as followst-
Calcutta Rice
Karachi rice
Dates
Es 39/- per bag
Es 33/- per bag
Es 3/- per basket
If merchants claimed that their stocks of rice had cost more than the
selling price now fixed the Saudi Government would, on production of tb
merchants* invoices, take over their stocks at the cost price and wouldp^
place them on the market at the new controlled price®
7. In the course of conversation several references were made to
the failure of this year’s crop of wheat sown with Canadian wheat seed.
It will be recalled that 3000 bags of Canadian wheat ware lent to the
Saudi Government by the Shaikh of Bahrain in October 1942 when, we were
told, there was no grain in Eastern Saudi Arabia and the people were
dying of starvation. Apparently the Canadian wheat intended for immed-
iate consumption in Saudi Arabia was used as seed grain. The result
has been unfortunate as the crop expected from it has been a completd
failure.
8. From ^atif we returned to Dhahran via Dammam® Along the road south
of ^atif very large areas of land are being developed. I saw enclosures,
many acres in extent, which were said to belong to JMaj ib Saleh (Ibn
Saud*8 Minister of Mines and Public Works), Shaikh Abdullah al Eadhl
and Saleh Islam (Shaikh Abdullah al Radhl’s assistant). Hew wells have
been bored and 4500 new date palms were, i was informed, to be planted
this season.
9. In the evening I attended a dinner given for me at his house in
Dammam by Shaikh Abdullah al Eadhl. The house is a very handsome one,
well-kept and clean, with electric light installed. The food provided
was, of course, on a lavish scale, and far exceeded in quantity and var
iety anything that I have experienced in Bahrain.
s On the morning of March 11th 1 was shown round the Oil Company’s
<1/ °nd was duly impressed by the enterprise shown in its nr^anisation.
"The well stbcked^o«imissa^_^ar^tbe home-made poultry incubators in
\ air-conditioned house were of particular interest.
li® Later in the morning I attended a midday dinner given for me by
the Amir of Al Khobar. The number of guests was small - not more than
a dozen - but the food provided included six sheep roasted whole and
more than 250 side dishes (incluij^ng fried locusts). At this feast I
was accompanied by Mr. Bertram ThoiS'as' andV’af^'ts^conclusion, we were
both presented by the Amir with swords of honour.
12. I said good-bye to the Amir of Al Khobar at his house and to
/ bhaikh