UAE First Lady: Behind-the-Scenes Player

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 ABU DHABI 003527

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP

ALSO FOR INR/B

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/14
TAGS: PINR PGOV TC
SUBJECT: UAE First Lady: Behind-the-Scenes Player

Ref: (A) USDAO Abu Dhabi R 291232Z Sep 04, (B) Abu Dhabi
3410

(U) Classified by Ambassador Michele J. Sison, reasons 1. 4
(b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: First Lady Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Al
Kitbi is a key political player and will likely remain so
even after UAE President Sheikh Zayed departs the scene.
She has succeeded in promoting her six sons to key
positions of power and influence, including her oldest son,
Mohammed, who will likely become UAE President in the
decades to come. Sheikha Fatima is the most prominent
female figure in the UAE and we expect her to continue to
exercise influence. Her stated goal of getting UAE
national women to sit in the Federal National Council (FNC)
is likely to be realized soon after her husband's death.
Her encouragement and advocacy on behalf of women over the
years have empowered the younger generation of Emirati
women, who are gradually making their influence felt in the
UAE economy and society. End Summary.

Background
--------------


2. (C) Fatima Bint Mubarak Al Kitbi was born in the
vicinity of the city of Al Ain in the Eastern Region of Abu
Dhabi Emirate. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan
reportedly saw his future bride during a traditional dance.
Sheikha Fatima married in her mid-teens and bore her eldest
son, Mohammed (now Abu Dhabi Deputy Crown Prince and Chief
of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces),in March 1961. She
would have been no more than 16 years of age, and possibly
younger. Her official biography calls her a pioneer in
supporting women's causes and women's education in the UAE
since the 1960s. Fatima's passports contain the stamp
"purdah female," and indeed there apparently exists only
one photograph of the First Lady in the public domain.
(Note: Our contacts say Sheikha Fatima is illiterate,
although her CV states that she has studied the Quran, as
well as arts and human science fields, concentrating on
poetry and philosophy, history, politics and diplomacy.
End note.) By 1973, she had established the Abu Dhabi
Women's Association, and by 1975, while still in her 20s,
she had founded the UAE General Women's Union (GWU),the
foremost women's organization in the country.

The Bani Fatima
--------------


3. (C) After Mohammed, Sheikh Zayed and Sheikha Fatima had
seven more children together (Note: Sheikh Zayed has had a
total of 19 sons and 10 daughters by different wives. End
note.) Mohammed's siblings are brothers Hamdan (b. 1963),
Haza'a (b. 1965),Tahnoun (b. 1969),Mansour (b. 1971),and
Abdullah (b. 1973),and sisters Shamma (b. 1967) and Ilyazi
(b. 1968). The six sons are collectively known as the Bani
Fatima, or sons of Fatima. They effectively control the
key portfolios in the UAEG today, including defense,
security, information, and foreign affairs. Mohammed, the
eldest, is second in line behind half-brother Khalifa, the
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Emirate, to succeed their
nonagenarian father, whose health is increasingly
precarious.

The most influential wife
--------------


4. (C) Sheikha Fatima is the fifth of Sheikh Zayed's nine
wives, and is the only wife referred to in the press.
Locals and expatriates refer to her as Sheikh Zayed's
favorite and official wife. She is certainly the most
powerful and influential. As the mother of the Bani
Fatima, she has worked successfully behind the scenes to
promote her sons to key positions of power. Mohammed, who
has been Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces since 1993,
controls the military. In November 2003, Zayed appointed
him Deputy Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, a move Sheikha Fatima
and her progeny orchestrated. The decree appointing
Mohammed clarified the presidential succession with the
explicit stipulation that Mohammed would become Crown
Prince of Abu Dhabi when that post became vacant. Mohammed
also is the chief adviser to the President on National
Security, member of the Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum
Council, board member of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority,
member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and President
and Patron of the think tank Emirates Center for Strategic
Studies and Research (ECSSR). On October 4, he was named
Honorary Chairman of the Higher Committee assigned to
coordinate ecomomic policy, program, and plans among the
seven emirates.


5. (C) Sheikha Fatima's second oldest son, Hamdan, has been
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs since 1990. As the
UAE's de facto Foreign Minister, Hamdan is the USG's
primary interlocutor on our bilateral relations. In
September 2003, Hamdan was appointed Deputy Prime Minister,
again with lobbying from Sheikha Fatima, most observers
acknowledge. There is speculation that after Zayed's
death, the Bani Fatima will engineer the process so that
Hamdan becomes Deputy Crown Prince. What role Sheikha
Fatima would play in such a scenario is open to question.
Others speculate that Crown Prince Khalifa will attempt to
appoint his son Sultan Bin Khalifa as Deputy Crown Prince.
Hamdan also is Chairman of Dolphin Energy Ltd., President
of UAE Red Crescent, Deputy Chairman of the Environmental
Research and Wildlife Development Agency, and Director of
Abu Dhabi Fund for Arab Economic Development.


6. (S) Haza'a has been Director of Abu Dhabi State Security
since 1992. Like his brothers Mohammed and Hamdan, Haza'a
is a strong proponent of bilateral cooperation with the
U.S. We do not know to what extent his mother played a
role in his appointment. However, Haza'a is very close to
Mohammed. This month, as he did last year, Haza'a is
visiting Washington to discuss counterterrorism cooperation
and intelligence sharing at the NSC, CIA, FBI, and State.
We also do not have details of Sheikha Fatima's involvement
in the appointments of her sons Tahnoun, Mansour, and
Abdullah, who control Zayed's private fortune, access, and
information. Tahnoun is Chairman of the Private
Department, which looks after Sheikh Zayed's personal
investments and foreign properties. Mansour is director of
Sheikh Zayed's office, making him the son with the most
access to his father. Mansour also is Deputy Chairman of
of the Sheikh Zayed Charitable Foundation. Abdullah, the
Minister of Information and Culture since 1997, controls
the national news agency, WAM, and is Chairman of Emirates
Media Incorporated, which owns Abu Dhabi TV and the main
Abu Dhabi Arabic language daily, Al Ittihad.


7. (C) In addition to being a power broker, Sheikha Fatima
has established her primacy among wives in Abu Dhabi.
Those who know her say she is a very smart woman who
doesn't miss a thing, and has natural dignity and charming
modesty. Around the UAE, Sheikha Fatima's popularity
derives from her enormous generosity, and some say, from
her relatively humble origins. "People like the fact that
she is from a small tribe and is not educated," a local
scholar told us.


8. (C) The question is, what becomes of Sheikha Fatima's
political influence after her husband dies. He is
reportedly in precarious health (ref B). We see her role
diminishing somewhat because her sons already are in
positions of power and influence, with Mohammed seemingly
secure in the succession line. While there is some
speculation that Sheikh Zayed's immediate heir, Crown
Prince Sheikh Khalifa, may try to rejigger some
appointments to undercut the Bani Fatima's power, we think
that scenario is unlikely. One plausible future role for
Sheikha Fatima - nd this, too, will be behind the scenes
will be to groom Sheikha Salaama, Mohammed's wife, as
future First Lady.

Initiatives in politics and education
--------------


9. (C) For years Sheikha Fatima has advocated a greater
role for women, including their inclusion as members of the
Federal National Council (FNC),which is responsible for
examining and amending all proposed federal legislation.
"There is nothing to prevent women from entering the
political arena. They have all the support they need from
the president and the rulers of the various emirates. The
constitution guarantees their rights," she said in an
interview with Al Ahram Weekly in May 2003 during a visit
to Cairo. "Soon we shall see women in the positions of
ministers in parliament, where they can continue to play a
role in serving society," she added.


10. (U) Sheikha Fatima also has pushed hard to improve the
status of women in the field of education, and to eliminate
illiteracy. At the university level, 57 percent of
graduates are women. In the labor force in 2000, there
were 75,683 women employed in various jobs, according to
the GWU. This figure doubled in five years; in 1995, it
did not exceed 18,144 women. Illiteracy, which once
exceeded 75 percent of the population, has now been almost
eradicated. According to the GWU, 88 percent of Emirati
women are now educated. (Note: The GWU she founded reviews
and offers opinions on all draft laws concerning women and
children. End note.)

Stands to inherit a fortune
--------------


11. (S) Sheikha Fatima's financial future appears very
secure as she stands to inherit billions of dollars.
Sheikh Zayed's personal wealth is estimated at $64 billion
(ref A). Sheikha Fatima is expected to receive $8 billion
with the remainder of the estate divided among the sons in
equal shares and to the daughters in half shares. Each of
Zayed's sons will receive two equal shares and each
daughter one share of the remainder of the estate.

Comparison with other Gulf First Ladies
--------------


12. (C) In contrast to most other First Ladies in the
region, Sheikha Fatima is a public figure. However, she
only appears in the presence of women. When the all-
women's Zayed University hosted Sheikha Fatima at last
spring's graduation ceremony in Abu Dhabi, the college had
to cordon off its campus, and Sheikha Fatima's security
detail stood guard on the perimeter to ensure that no men -
ot even the students' fathers and brothers ntered the
premises. According to an attendee, Sheikha Fatima sat and
listened as someone read the speech that was written for
her.



Not everyone is a fan
--------------


13. (C) While most acknowledge Sheikha Fatima's power and
influence in the UAE, and applaud her contributions to
various charities and her stated support of women's causes,
there are those who say she tends to be arrogant and to
look after her own. In some circles, people refer to her
and the Bani Fatima derogatorily as a "secret committee"
that takes important decisions related to security, foreign
affairs, and information. Some critics do not like that
she and the Bani Fatima act as Sheikh Zayed's gatekeepers
ensuring that no one speaks to him without their approval.
Whenever the ailing president has been in the hospital, one
of his sons, and often Sheikha Fatima, has always been
there.


14. (C) Some Emiratis also question Sheikha Fatima's
ability to carry out the kinds of reforms she talks about
in her speeches, including giving women a greater role in
politics. These same interlocutors say the GWU could have
done a lot more to advance the conditions of women in its
30-year existence. "They promote women's handicrafts," and
little else, lamented one of our regular contacts. From
our own visits to GWU headquarters in Abu Dhabi, we can
confirm that it is little more than a showcase for Sheikha
Fatima's individual accomplishments. About 10 years ago,
Sheikha Fatima named a female UAE University professor as
her advisor at the GWU, but she reportedly rejected the
advisor's plans for creating a forum for UAE intellectual
women and refused to fund research. The advisor was not
satisfied serving as a protocol chief and organizing
celebrations, and returned to her teaching job. Some of
our contacts have told us that once a woman enters Sheikha
Fatima's entourage, she effectively gives up her personal
life. "It is difficult to live near a sheikha. You cannot
do anything she does not approve of. You have no say," a
contact said.


15. (C) If Sheikha Fatima is so influential, why is it that
after so many years of advocacy, there isn't a single woman
sitting in the FNC, our contacts ask. (Note: The FNC's 40
members are all appointed. End note.) One of our
political contacts has stated in the past that the first
political reform in the UAE should be to establish an
elected legislature to replace the FNC's appointed body.
The second reform, which could take place simultaneously,
would be to include women, our contact said. Although a
visionary leader with regard to economic and social policy
and the UAE's strategic interests, Sheikh Zayed was deeply
conservative politically. It will remain to her sons to
push for more political openness.

Comment
--------------


16. (C) How much Sheikha Fatima's star diminishes after
Sheikh Zayed's eldest son, Crown Prince Khalifa, assumes
the presidency remains to be seen. In any event, Khalifa's
wife Shamsa Bint Suhail Mazrouie, who is Sheikha Fatima's
expected successor as First Lady, will have a difficult
time topping Sheikha Fatima's reputed popularity among UAE
nationals.
SISON