UAE SENDING IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION TEAM TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002326 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ARP, NEA/NGA, E, EB, EB/CBA AND PM DEPT FOR USAID SECDEF FOR USEC ZAKHEIM, ALSO PRINCIPAL D/USEC RYAN HENRY E.O. 12958: DECL 05/12/08 TAGS: ECON PREL PGOV IZ TC SUBJECT: UAE SENDING IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION TEAM TO WASHINGTON FOR DISCUSSIONS ¶1. (U) Classified by Charge Richard A. Albright for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). ¶2. (U) This is an action message -- please see paragraph five. ¶3. (C) At the initiative of MFA Minstate Shaykh Hamdan bin Zayied, the UAE is sending a nine-member delegation to Washington during the week of May 19 to discuss Iraq reconstruction. Growing out of the UAE's participation in the informal consulting group on Iraq reconstruction, the goal of the visit is to showcase the capabilities of the UAE to assist in rehabilitating certain key sectors in Iraq, and to make initial contacts face to face with U.S. policymakers involved in helping map out the reconstruction agenda. Timed to coincide with the visit of UAE Chief of Staff LtgTG Shaykh Mughammad bin Zayid, the reconstruction team will hew to a separate schedule. Participants will be: ¶A. Sultan bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman of the Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority; ¶B. Abdullah Rashid Al-Nuaimi, MFA Assistant Undersecretary/Usec for pPolitical aAffairs; ¶C. Saeed Saif Al-Suweidi, Chairman of the UAE Federation of Chambers of Commerce; ¶D. Muhammad Omran, Deputy CEO at UAE telecoms monopoly Etisalat and also Chairman of the Board of Directors of satellite telephone firm Thuraya; ¶E. Obeid Al-Tayer, Chairmanhead of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce; ¶F. Finance A/Usec Khalid Al-Bustani, Assistant Undersecretary, Ministry of Finance; ¶G. Saeek Al-Hamiz, Central Bank Executive Director for Banking Supervision at the Central BankSaeed Al- Hamiz; ¶H. Rashid Al-Suweidi, MFA Minstate Hamdan bin Zayid's representative on the UAE's interagency Iraq reconstruction committee; and, ¶I. Ali Mubarak, Director, Department of Origins, Ministry if Commerce (largely involved in textile quota issues). ¶4. (C) Charge met with MFA A/USEC Abdullah Rashid Al-Nuaimi May 12 to discuss the visit. The UAE official said that his government wishes to establish direct contact with key USG decision-makers on Iraq reconstruction and to showcase the significant capabilities of the UAE, particularly in the fields of shipping/customs pre-clearance, financial services, and telecommunications. Al-Nuaimi acknowledged that these would largely be introductory meetings, but he stressed that the UAEG considers it important now to "open that first door." Charge outlined possible interlocutors, including the key USG participants in the weekly Iraq reconstruction conference calls; the MFA official said this would be an excellent place to start. ¶5. (U) Comment and Action Request: This visit has high-level support here and while we have been careful to seek to manage expectations (by, for example, dissuading the Emiratis from having the Minister of Economy and Commerce head the delegation, instead emphasizing that this would be a series of introductory calls on the key USG officials guiding the Iraq reconstruction effort). Nonetheless,, it is clear that the UAEG sees this trip as a means to lay out their capabilities and stake a claim to a piece of the Iraq reconstruction pie. Given the sensitivities involved, post would very much appreciate the Department's assistance in organizing a comprehensive schedule for this short-notice, but significantmajor Emirati delegation. Activities beyond meetings with conference call principals at DoD, Treasury and State could include an activity with BCIU or the Arab-U.S. Chamber, meeting with senior the USAID officials Director, as well as possible side-bars for select delegation members on Strategic Dialogue issues (such as OPIC coverage for the UAE and ARBIFT). We also pulsed Abdullah Rashid on his availability for meetings in the Department on broader Strategic Dialogue issues (ICC Article 98, Trafficking in Persons, etc.) and he said he would welcome this, but that his primary focus would be to accompany the group on Iraq reconstruction meetings. ¶6. (U) This message coordinated with Amconsul Dubai. Albright