Page 220 - A Hand book of Arabia Vol 1 (iii) Ch 6 -10

(' t PRODUCTS and trade 2S7

percentage of the exports. Next come the other countries round
the Gulf, Turkish ‘Iraq, Persia, and the Arabian Coast, collectively
responsible in throe years between 1911 and 1914, for 19-24% of
exports, and 25-27 % of imports. Hardly anything is sent to
Europe from Ivowcit, all the exports going to India and the Gulf ; of
imports during the same period the United Kingdom claimed rather
less than G %, Germany and the United States about 2 % each.
The chief imports, with their average values in thousands of
pounds sterling, were, for the same three years : Piece-goods
(chiefly from India and the United Kingdom), 77 ; rice (India), 57 ;
• ;• .* specie, 53 ; sugar (Germany, Austria, India), 20 ; coffee (chiefly
India), 17 ; tea (India), 7 ; coir (India), 5; enamelled ware
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(Austria), 4 ; kerosene (United States), 3 ; arms and ammunition
(France), 3 ; all the above are brought in steamers. The following
come in native boats : tobacco (Turkish Arabia), 13 ; barley
(Persia), ll.V; water (Shatt cl-‘Arab), 104; dates (Arabia), 7;
timber (India), 5 ; rice (India and Turkish Arabia), 34 ; piece-
goods (Persia), 14.
Exports by steamer are : pearls (to India), 464 ; specie (India,
&c.), 304 ; ghi (from Nejd and Jebel Shammar to Bahrein and
Persia), 2 ; horses and live stock (India and Bahrein), 14.
By native craft the only considerable exports are ghi (to Bah­
rein), 44 ; tea (Persia and Turkish Arabia), 3-4 ; rice, 3 ; timber
(Turkish Arabia), 14; sheepskins (Russia), 1-4; sugar (Persia), 1.
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Other articles average less than £1,000 in value. The adminis­
tration of the customs is entrusted by the Sheikh to an Arab
director, a native of Koweit, whose management is stated to be
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fairly efficient. New sheds have been erected, and hand-power
cranes are said to have been ordered.
The maritime trade of Koweit would derive great advantage
from the establishment of a post office; it was hoped that this
improvement might be effected in 1914. It is clear that the future
destiny of the port largely depends on its choice or rejection as the
terminus of the Baghdad Railway.
• I
A certain proportion of the Koweit imports goes inland by
caravan to Nejd and Jebel Shammar. During the recent disturb­
ances in Central Arabia, much of the interior trade was diverted
to Basra and Nejef. But the truce between Ibn Rashid and
Ibn Sa‘ud was favourable to the resumption of desert traffic ; and
from 1912 and 1913 caravans are reported to have been coming
und going regularly to and from Boreidah. and Aneizah. The
following rates obtained in 1913-14 for camel-transport-: Goods
for Boreidah and Aneizah or Zilfi, 44 riyals (9s.) per maund (1214 lb.);
•s