Middle East

At the start of the twentieth century, British policy in the Middle East was still dominated by safeguarding of the sea routes to India. The importance of oil would eventually bring another factor into play. Immediately after the war the fertile lands between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers were seen as strategically important for food production. The control of transportation by water and rail would therefore be of vital importance. Infrastructure would need to be built, such as dams, docks, and harbours as well as warehousing facilities. There were good opportunities for the British Trade Corporation to finance such developments and undertake trading through the Levant Company. There would be tremendous commercial opportunities so long as political stability could be achieved. The considerable local instability weighed heavily on Britain. The cost of a military presence initially outweighed the commercial returns at least until oil resources could be exploited, but that would come too late for the British Trade Corporation.