Page 327 - Records of Bahrain (7) (ii)_Neat

Economic and financial affairs 717

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as Dccenibor 19130 by iny Commercial Secretary, This advice was
o lido rood by Sir Brio (Ullbourn and Cap bain Alastalr Smith when
they visited Bahrain this year bo advise b)ie Bahrain Government
on port operabion. hut the inertia of the Bahrain Government
and lbs inability to appreciate the role in Bahrain's economy
ol" the new port and its free transit area have combined bo
prevent any action.
14. The £4 million now port will thus be almost a "white
l
elephant" unless the Bahrain Government, and principally the
Ruler, can accept thatj its main purpose is not to be a revenue-

earner for the Government but to be a service to shippers and
I j
importers wh:*oh will contributej directly to the Sheikhdom's
economy and only indirectly to 'the Government's income. The
!
Ruler appears reluctant to accept the recommendations of the
j
Mlllbourn report and in one respect has already rejected it by
sotting up a Port Committee (ofjGovernment servants and members
!
of the Shaikhly family]) which ip to run the port under the
Chairmanship of his alnost illiterate twenty-year old youngest
! I
son, Muhammad. Mono of the potential port users are to be
i :
represented on this committee and it is understood that seeking
their advice is not included in the Committee's berms of
reference. Meanwhile the Port Manager, a young retired Royal
Navy Lieutenant Commander c.f little experience in port
administration, is at his v/its end in seeking clear instructions
about the purchase of equipment and the recruitment of the staff
essential to run a port which should be cpcrational toy/ards

the end of 1 9^1 .
19. . Sir George Middleton expressed the view in his despatch
No. 1J1F, of the 10th of February that the completion of the
deep-water harbour would see an ond to the capital construction
SJCCRET /projecta..