Page 324 - Records of Bahrain (7) (ii)_Neat

714 Records of Bahrain

SKCRTCT

- 5 -

force at loaot a cut-back in the use of tho refinery.
0. The contribution to the’economy made by Her Majesty1 a
Government *c Forces con, at the best, be no more than semi­
permanent, dependent as it is on the political and strategic

intcrosto of Her Majesty1s Government in this area, If the
thesio put forward by Sir George Middleton in his letter 1 041 G
of the 1 Oth of September to Sir Roger Stevens is accepted, a
maximum time limit of 1 5 years may be sot as its duration.
9. The traditional transit trade is, a6 already mentioned,
threatened by the desire of other Gulf States to import
direct and not through Bahrain, This desire will quicken as
| :
port facilities improve clsov/hero, delays in unloading
disappear and direct shipment to the Gulf States (including
Saudi Arabia) becomes more economical than shipping through
Bahrain. Kuwait has long ceased to be dependent on Bahrain;
i
Qatar is, through it 3 Chamber!of Commerce, conducting on active
i
campaign to get commercial ugencies into the hands of its
I
own merchants; tho Jkill, efficiency and resolution of the
merchants of Dubai, fully supported by their able and
intelligent Ruler, arc lcadinp to Dubai’s rapid growth and
commercial independence of Bahrain; the coming development
of Abu Dhabi as a consequence of its approaching oil wealth
will be served by merchants established in Abu Dhabi itself
or in Dubai; Muscat’ 6 trado with Bahrain is negligible; and
if Saudi Arabia were to cease buying through Bahrain the transit
trade of the island would collapse.
10. In recent years on average of 60$ of Bahrain's re-exports
by value have been consigned to Saudi Arabia; during tho
first eight months of this year £2.6 million out of Bahrain'o

total re-exports of £5*1 million, have boon for Saudi Arabia.
Go great a dependence on one market - Bahrain also dopendo
/on...
GJiCRF/f