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Show Beirut, 4 February I960 Doctor Fayez A. Sayegl Post Office Box 391 Jackson Heights Sta. 72 New York, N.Y. U.S.A. Dear Fayez, I am writing about a matter which may be of interest to you, since I have learnt that you are considering staying now in New York for some time more. We have been approached by business representatives in Beirut, acting on behalf of some oil interests, who are desirous of seeing published in Arabic a sensible book, by a sensible author, about oil, the oil industry and its implications on Middle-Eastern affairs. This book, our clients want to be objective, factual and so written that it will be scientific and yet appeal to the general public. The main purpose is to avail the Arab reader with all the information that is necessary for a sound judgement on the relation between oil and the development of the Arab World. In no way do our clients want propaganda for the oil companies. On the contrary, any constructive criticism will be welcome, and the book should be so written that it does not go against the national sentiment. The more controversial the book is, the better it will be for its publicity. Without pre-judging the plan and content of the book, our clients feel that at least one major misconception about oil business should be corrected. Due to the wide publicity given to the earnings of oil companies at the level of crude production and sales FOB the Arab Gulf, there is a current impression that oil as a whole is a fantastically profitable industry. The point to be made is that, on a consolidated basis, oil is, as a matter of fact, considerably less profitable than other major industrial activities. |
