Page 49 - Protestant Missionary Activity in the Arabian Gulf

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advised Shaikh Ahmad al-Jabir, Kuwait’s ruler from 1921 to

1950, in furnishing a drawing room and dining room in the

Dasman Palace with European style furniture imported from India.

’’Though he was a conservative in desiring to preserve tra­

ditional Arab values and customs," Ereeth writes of Shaikh
Ahmed, "which he considered best for his people, he was not

personally averse to western gadgets and material innova-
„80
tions. The Shaikh was also very much interested in fire­

arms, photography and automobiles and took great pleasure in

81
driving his own car.

The American missionaries were no longer the only ones

to introduce modern vrestern products to the Gulf, however, for

the oil companies had started importing their own equipment,
i
drilling rigs, heavy trucks, even airplanes. Much of the

■■■
Mission equipment was made to look primitive and out-dated in

m comparison. Eor a while the oil companies were dependent upon

the Mission for medical services. In 1934 BAPCO commenced

subsidizing the mission hospital in Bahrain in exchange for

medical services for its employees. In Kuwait the oil com­

pany dispensary at Magwa was supplied and supported by the

Mission hospital. But this dependence did not last long.

By 1944 BAPCO had set up its own medical program and oil

revenues were being funneled into an ambitious state medical
op
program, The Kuwait government was able to open a state

clinic in 1939, 83 and ten years later both a Kuwait Oil

Company hospital and a large government hospital (the Amiri
84
hospital) were put in operation. By the early 1950’s com-