UAE REPRESENTATIVE TO THE MINISTERS OF WOMEN'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 003898 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/RA -- GRAPPO, NEA/ARP, S/PICW, G/IWI OKHTARZADA E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/08 TAGS: ELAB KWMN PREL KPAL ECON EAID TC SUBJECT: UAE REPRESENTATIVE TO THE MINISTERS OF WOMEN'S AFFAIRS CONFERENCE UNLIKELY TO ATTEND REFS: A) STATE 242950 B) ABU DHABI 3314 ¶1. (U) Classified by Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Richard A. Albright for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). ¶2. (C) Econoff passed ref A information to UAE Women's Union Director and de facto Minister of Women's Affairs Nora Al-Suweidi 8/23, and later discussed the rescheduled event with her on the phone. Al-Suweidi lamented that she would be unable to attend the Ministers of Women's Affairs Conference, given that the timing of the conference conflicted with the UAE's own First Economic Businesswomen's Forum on October 7-10 (ref B). ¶3. (C) Al-Suweidi said that a number of confirmed participants to the Abu Dhabi conference had informed her that they would not attend the entire event, and would attempt to travel to Washington for the Ministers of Women's Affairs Conference, as well. She noted that it was unfortunate that two such important women's events had been scheduled for the same week -- participation in both events would suffer, as a result. Albright