DEDICATION OF `THE DUNES' - THE NEW EMBASSY

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000571

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/FO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL AMGT TC
SUBJECT: DEDICATION OF `THE DUNES' - THE NEW EMBASSY
COMPOUND IN ABU DHABI


1. SUMMARY: THE U.S. EMBASSY IN ABU DHABI COMMEMORATED
ON MARCH 2 THE OPENING OF ITS NEW COMPOUND, `THE DUNES',
IN A DEDICATION CEREMONY ATTENDED BY THE GUEST OF HONOR,
SHAYKH HAMDAN BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
AND MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, SEVERAL UAE
SHAYKHS AND MINISTERS, THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS AND SCIONS
OF THE ABU DHABI BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCENE. GUESTS
ENJOYED A WARM WELCOMING AND A WELL-ORGANIZED CEREMONY,
AND EXPRESSED REACTIONS OF APPRECIATION, GRATITUDE AND
WELL WISHES. THE EVENT WAS WIDELY COVERED BY PRINT AND
ELECTRONIC MEDIA. SHEIKH HAMDAN RARELY ATTENDS SUCH
EVENTS - A FACT THAT WAS NOTED BY SEVERAL ENVIOUS
AMBASSADORS. END SUMMARY.


2. WITH ALL MISSION STAFF PULLING TOGETHER AS A TEAM,
THE U.S. EMBASSY'S DEDICATION CEREMONY YESTERDAY WAS A
DAY TO BE REMEMBERED. THE DECORATION, BUFFET, JAZZ
MUSIC, THE FRESH WEATHER, AND THE GATHERING OF
APPROXIMATELY 350 GUESTS, ALL CONTRIBUTED TO A
SUCCESSFUL EVENT. THE AMBASSADOR'S DESCRIPTION OF THE
NEW EMBASSY "AS A VERY VISIBLE SYMBOL OF (THE UAE-U.S.)
PARTNERSHIP, TRUST AND FRIENDSHIP", WAS WIDELY QUOTED IN
THE LOCAL PRESS.


3. SHAYKH HAMDAN BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN, THE GUEST OF
HONOR, WROTE IN THE EMBASSY'S GUEST BOOK:

"IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO INAUGURATE TODAY TUESDAY
MARCH 2, 2004 THE NEW COMPOUND OF THE U.S. EMBASSY IN
ABU DHABI. ON THIS OCCASION, I AM DELIGHTED TO
COMMEMORATE THE DISTINGUISHED AND DEEP RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE UAE AND OUR ALLY THE U.S., WHICH SERVES THE
INTERESTS OF BOTH FRIENDLY NATIONS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP
OF H.H. SHAYKH ZAYED BIN SULTAN AL NAHYAN, PRESIDENT OF
THE UAE, AND THE HONORABLE PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH,
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

TODAY WE INAUGURATE THIS ARCHITECTURALLY BEAUTIFUL
BUILDING, WHICH WE HOPE WILL SERVE THE INTERESTS OF BOTH
COUNTRIES.

WE HOPE FOR CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY IN THE
ONGOING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO FRIENDLY COUNTRIES,
AND WE TREASURE THE EFFECTIVE ROLE THAT THE EMBASSY IS
PLAYING IN THIS REGARD."


4. THE UAE DIGNITARIES WHO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY WERE:

-- SHAYKH HAMDAN BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND
MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS;
-- SHAYKH HAMED BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN, CHAIRMAN OF DEPARTMENT OF
ECONOMY, MEMBER OF ABU DHABI EXECUTIVE COUNCIL;
-- SHAYKH DR. SULTAN BIN KHALIFA AL NAHYAN, DIRECTOR OF THE CROWN
PRINCE'S DIWAN;
-- SHAYKH NAHYAN BIN MUBARAK AL NAHYAN, MINISTER OF HIGHER
EDUCATION AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH;
-- SHAYKH HAMDAN BIN MUBARAK AL NAHYAN, CHAIRMAN OF ABU DHABI
CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT;
-- SHAYKH FAISAL BIN SAQR AL QASSIMI, SON OF RAS AL KHAIMAH
RULER.
-- HAMAD AL MADFA, MINISTER OF HEALTH
-- MOHAMED NAKHIRA AL DHAHERI, MINISTER OF JUSTICE, ISLAMIC
AFFAIRS, AND AWQAF
-- SULTAN BIN NASSER AL SUWAIDI, GOVERNOR OF THE CENTRAL BANK



5. MORE THAN TWO MINUTES OF THE CEREMONY WAS COVERED IN
THE EVENING NEWS AND THE EVENT WAS REPORTED IN ALL (5
ARABIC, 3 ENGLISH) NEWSPAPERS. WE POSTED AN ARTICLE ON
DEDICATION AND SPEECHES OF AMBASSADOR WAHBA AND GENERAL
WILLIAMS, DIRECTOR OF OBO, WHO DEDICATED THE BUILDING,
ON THE EMBASSY WEBSITE.


6. YACUB AL HOSANI, MFA DIRECTOR FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
AND ONE OF OUR VALUED INTERLOCUTORS DURING THE PAST YEAR ON THE
TRADE AND INVESTMENT FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT AND THE ARTICLE 98
AGREEMENT, PRIVATELY EXPRESSED HIS ADMIRATION FOR THE NEW
BUILDING AND SAID IT SPOKE VOLUMES ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF THE
BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP. THE KENYAN AMBASSADOR REFLECTED ON
EMBASSY BOMBING IN NAIROBI AND THE CHANGES THAT HAVE OCCURRED
SINCE SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, AND NOTED THAT OUR NEW BEAUTIFUL AND
IMPOSING STRUCTURE SENDS JUST THE RIGHT MESSAGE ABOUT THE
AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC FOOTPRINT IN THE UAE.

WAHBA