AL TAJAMMOUAT QIZ PLANS BIRTHDAY BASH, U.S.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004503

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE PASS USTR FOR NED SAUMS
USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/PTHANOS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD EINV JO
SUBJECT: AL TAJAMMOUAT QIZ PLANS BIRTHDAY BASH, U.S.
INVITES PENDING


Sensitive But Unclassified; please protect accordingly.


1. (u) Al Tajammouat QIZ park manager Halim Salfiti is
planning in September to commemorate four years of successful
QIZ activity at his industrial park. The event will
highlight Tajammouat's success at bringing in investment and
creating local jobs, and will formally inaugurate the
"village workers" program designed by Salfiti. Salfiti also
hopes to use the celebration (and anticipated participation
by King Abdullah) as a hook to bring major U.S. garment
buyers and potential investors to Jordan to see the QIZ
success story. We will be working with Washington agencies
to support this event, including possibly encouraging a trade
and investment delegation to Jordan targeting QIZ businesses.

TAJAMMOUAT TURNS FOUR


2. (u) The Al Tajammouat industrial park in south Amman,
approved by Federal Register notice in October 1999, has been
the fastest-growing QIZ in Jordan over the past four years.
According to park management, the park now employs some
13,000 people, including approximately 8-9,000 Jordanians,
and claims to have the most invested capital ($150 million)
and operating firms (23) of any park involved in the
initiative. The park, located near the Sahab industrial
estate and very close to Queen Alia International Airport,
was also one of the first to attract non-textile business,
welcoming a West Bank-based jewelry manufacturer in 2001.


3. (u) Tajammouat has been an innovator in the QIZ
community. One of the park's occupants, New York-based
Cannon County Knitting Mills, has set the standard for labor
development and community outreach by QIZ factories, and was
as a result nominated by post for the 2001 Award for
Corporate Excellence. Park Manager Halim Salfiti launched in
2002 a "village workers program," which recruits workers from
poverty-stricken towns in Jordan's south (including Ma'an and
Tafileh, traditional social unrest hot-spots) to live in
U.S.-standard dormitories on the QIZ park site and work in
QIZ factories. The program has been an unqualified success,
drawing raves from factory owners, the workers themselves,
and even the governor of Tafileh. The program currently
employs some 400 workers, but Salfiti hopes to double that
number as soon as additional dormitory space becomes
available.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, QIZ!


4. (u) Salfiti, clearly impressed by the buzz created at
the Dead Sea World Economic Forum and proud of the park's
success so far, has decided to commemorate the fourth
anniversary of the Park's approval with a gala dinner and
sound and light show that will also serve as an investment
promotion tool. Salfiti plans to invite current and
prospective investors to the event, along with CEO's of major
U.S. garment buyers. He has also begun planning with the
Palace to secure attendance at the dinner by King Abdullah
and Queen Rania.


5. (u) Salfiti hopes to hold the event in mid- to
late-September, pending the King's availability. He is
considering as an alternative holding the event in parallel
with the Joint Economic Commission meeting to be held in
Amman in the fall, to use expected high-level USG
participation in the JEC as a "hook" to encourage
participation by U.S. garment buyer CEO's. He has approached
the Embassy/FCS for assistance with attracting U.S. buyer
interest in the event.

COMMENT


6. (sbu) Salfiti's planned event is very similar to one the
Embassy tried to help the Jordan Investment Board put
together in Spring 2002, but which died from lack of
follow-up on the part of JIB. Salfiti is much more likely to
follow through, and has already committed over $100,000 to
the event and hired an event planner who was involved in the
Dead Sea WEF to make arrangements. He is ready to commit
additional funds and/or fundraise in the QIZ and GOJ
communities to make this event a success, and needs our help
to deliver the U.S. buyers.


7. (u) We will work with Salfiti and the Palace on
invitations, and will identify and send support letters from
the Ambassador to invited CEO's. We will be in contact with
interested Washington agencies about supporting this event,
including possibly inviting CEO's out as a formal trade
delegation led by an appropriate-level USG representative
from Commerce or USTR.
HALE