'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf for the year 1932' [‎516r] (7/73)

i
REVIEW.
Obituary.—The death of Sir Hugh Biscoe.on board H. M. S. Bideford - ’
near Hen.iam on the 19th July deprived those who served under him aud v t .c
associated with him, of a personal friend, and the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. of a 1 oht.ca
Resident who worked unceasingly towards the advancement of its varie.1
interests.
side —On the Arab side the most important features of the year have
been the e'stablishment of Hie Civil Air Route, the growth of Oil Interests, and
widespread economic depression.
Aviation. —As regards the Air Route, for the establishment of jhich Sir
Hugh Biscoe had laboured so strenuously, and so ™ ou
the establishment of an Air Port was concluded with the Shaikh ot Shaitan o i
the 22nd July. The necessary air facilities had previously been obtained at
Bahrain and'at Gwadur-an enclave An area of land belonging to one country and entirely surrounded by land of just one other country. in British Baluchistan belonging to the
Sultan of Muscat.
Royal Air Force Flving Boats continued to patrol the coast during the year,
and occasional flights of land machines were also made.
The Air Route besides being the Civil Route to India is also the strategical
one. In fact, the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. is now “ The Suez Canal of the An .
Oil Interests. In Kuwait rival interests—British and American icpie-
;ented by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, Limited, and the Eastern and General
*>vndicate, Limited, respectively, have been striving to secure an oil concession
Yom the Shaikh. Neither had succeeded by the end ot the year.
In Bahrain the Bahrain Petroleum Company continued to drill actively,
md before the close of the year had definitely struck oil.
In Qatar the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, Limited, secured in, August the
sole and exclusive right for a period of two years to carry out geological explora-
tion in the Shaikh’s territory.
Kuwait .—Besides the question of the oil concession already iHluded to, Bm
Sand’s Blockade, which permitted no trade to cross the frontier of Sa udi Arab a
either into, or from Kuwait territory, was the chief matter of interest. At the
close of Hie year in spite of various efforts to have the blockade relaxed it con-
tinned unabated.
lent had in 1914 promised the Kuier perpetual m .nuiiity —— -
eturn for aid against the Turkish forces, but which the ’Iraq Government had
ow commenced to tax. A further complication arose by certain claimants
ringing suits, one of which was successful, in the ’Iraq Courts challenging the
il aikh’a rights to certain of his gardens. In addition to imimmity from taxation
lis Majesty’s Government had likewise guaranteed the Ruler possession of
lis property. No solution to the date garden problem had been found bj the
nd of the year.
Bahrain .—Besides the development of the Air Route and of Oil Interests
t feature of the year was the threatened loss of the important transit tiade ot
Bahrain.
Firatlv. The Sa’udi Government is endeavouring to construct a new port
it Ras Tanura where shipment of goods can be made direct both by steamer and
Ihow.
flrcondlu—In 1920 the Bahrain Government granted a concession to Bm
laud by which goods intended for Nejd, transhipped at Bahrain, paid only a
ma transit duty of two per cent. In addition the further concession was
'ran ed t at goods transhipped from steamer to dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. in Bahrain waters would
;e exempt from the payment of any duty whatever. No advantage, however,
vas, until lately, taken of the latter concession. Now, however, the Sa udi
jovernmeut have shown signs of taking adv antage o i .
The question of reaching an amicable and mutually satisfactory agreement
Detween the Bahrain and Sa’udi Governments on this matter was under const,
ieration at the end of the year. . . _
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