Page 102 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (IV)_Neat

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showed that still more schools will have to be opened in the near future. At present
all educated and even partly educated young men can find work, but should conditions
change in Bahrain and in the neighbouring countries the existence of a large partly
educated section of the community, who are averse to manual labour, might well
prove a problem. The traditional Arab style of government, which might be
described as a democratic autocracy, came into being when the people who were
being governed were not educated.
There was no legislation of particular importance during the year apart from
one proclamation forbidding Bahrain subjects to dispose of immovable property
to non-Bahrain subjects. This measure was taken in order to prevent more land
passing out of the hands of Bahrain Arabs, especially in Manama, where during the
last decade much of the most valuable property in the town has been acquired by
foreigners. In recent years immigration into Bahrain has been on a large scale and
the proportion of foreigners in the country, which is particularly noticeable in
Manama, has increased very considerably. Bahrain has come to be regarded as a
safe refuge by people who are in difficulties in their own countries. Many of the
immigrants are not desirable people and the Government is alive to the danger of
politically minded minorities.

C. DALRYMPLE BELGRAVE, C.B.E.,
Adviser to the Bahrain Government.

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