Page 317 - Records of Bahrain (7) (ii)_Neat

Economic and financial affairs 707

BAHRAIN
nornl
Trade has boon reasonably satisfactory during the quarter,
re-exports rising again after falling off during the preceding
quarter.

2. The annual Bahrain Agricultural and Trade Fair was hold from
April 1 to 0. The United Kingdom v/ua represented, for the first
time, hy n small but impressive stand designed by the Contrul
Office of Information and Board of Trade. 32,900 people visited
the fair but few were from outside Bahrain, few serious
commercial onquirios were made and there was a marked fnlling-
off in interest among local merchants. Aftor the Fair the Ghow
Committee decided not to hold another one until 1962.
3. A small prestige exhibition sponsored by the Danish Govern­
ment visited Bahrain from April 13 to 16.
Industry and Development
n. Several tenders for the construction of a new bridge on the
causeway linking I4uharrnq and Bahrain Islands huvo been considered
by the Bahrain Government bi!it no contract hua yet been awarded.
It iB understood that the Government :are still considering expert
advice on the relative merits of steel and concrete constructions.
5. Work hue begun on the dredging of the approach channel to
Mina Sulinan, Bahrain's new deep-wuter harbour which is expected
to be operational in the seiond hulf lof 1961. The dredging
contract is being carried out by the JOverseas Dredging Co. Ltd.
6. Sir Eric Millbourn, Honorary Ports and Shipping Adviser to
the Ministry of Transport, submitted to the Bahrain Government
his report on the control, operation and organisation of Mina
Sulman. (See paragraph 6 of Economic Report No. 1 of i960.)
7. An experimental rice-f: eld of tvjro acres has been approved by
the Bahrain Government's Agricultural Council. If this trial
piot is successful the Director of Agriculture hopes to reclaim
and grow rice on seventy acres of salt swuinp.
8. A small, privately-owned plant Ifor the manufacture of
nitrogen und oxygen waa completed and tested, but had not gone
into production, by the end)of the quarter. The plant, which
has German machinery and has German engineers, is capable of
producing 125 cylinders, each one of'200 cu. ft. capacity, per
day. ’
9. The Bahrain Government announced on June 28 that from
October, I960, the price of electricity would be reduced to a
flut rate of 10 nayo paisc (about 1$d.) a unit.
Banking and Foreign Exchange
10, The free market dollar rate ut the end of June was U.S. #1 =
Rs. 4.79 (average buying und selling rate for dollar cheques),
giving a sterling cross-rate of ii 1 = U.S. #2.78. •
Trade Statistics
11. Bahrain's imports and re-exports during March, April and May
were (showing United Kingdom's share of imports and Saudi Arabia's
share of re-exports):-
/imports • • • •