PRESIDENT KHALIFA IN ABU DHABI'S WESTERN REGION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 003241 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/23/2015 TAGS: PGOV KDEM EPET TC SUBJECT: PRESIDENT KHALIFA IN ABU DHABI'S WESTERN REGION REF: A. ABU DHABI 1317 ¶B. ABU DHABI 1152 Classified By: AMBASSADOR MICHELE J. SISON, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) Summary: President Khalifa traveled to the less advantaged Western Region of Abu Dhabi Emirate July 21-23 to fulfill the traditional practice of the ruler meeting with tribal leaders, but also to inform residents about planned infrastructure upgrades. Khalifa may be using such visits around the country to slowly, but deliberately, consult with citizens as he considers the road to greater political participation. End Summary. ¶2. (U) President Khalifa met with residents of Abu Dhabi Emirate's Western Region in his palace in Liwa July 21-23, as part of an ongoing effort to reach out to the country's different geographic constituencies and hear their concerns, grievances, and requests for assistance. Press coverage of Khalifa's "Open Door" program in Liwa consisted of photos of Khalifa and his entourage greeting his constituents, and noted that nationals from all parts of the Western Region came to talk to him. Khalifa told his audiences that he wanted to keep the same open door policy as his father, the late President Sheikh Zayed, who would hold direct meetings with citizens and their families to follow up on their situation and provide basic services for them. The press reported that Khalifa had expressed support for infrastructure projects in the region and reassured citizens of his interest in providing good and dignified living conditions for them and their families. The President urged Western Region residents to continue working and contributing to their country. The press noted the grievances were related to services and amenities in towns and villages. ¶3. (C) The purpose of Khalifa's visit appears to track with what Abu Dhabi Executive Council member Khaldoon Al Mubarak had told us last March about a plan he was directing for developing the less advantaged Western Region of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. He said the plan includes upgrades to infrastructure and services as well as the establishment of local councils (ref A),although the issue of broadening political participation was not part of Khalifa's most recent visit to Liwa. (Note: In ref B, we also reported that Minister for Presidential Affairs Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed had told Ambassador March 12 that the UAEG would be initiating consultations with Western Region leaders about broadening political participation through representative municipal councils. End note). ¶4. (C) UAE academic Dr. Fatema Al Sayegh told Political Assistant July 25 that President Khalifa's visit to the Western Region was significant because Liwa is the ruling Al Nahyan family's ancestral land. She said that it was important for Khalifa to secure the support of the original Beduins, including his wife's Al Mazrouie tribe. Al Sayegh said that this tradition of keeping in personal touch with the people is "the real democracy for these people." She said the visit may have had a political dimension, given Saudi land claims in the Liwa area. Khalifa may have used the visit to confirm that this region belongs to the UAE and that its people are completely loyal to him and the UAE nation. Al Sayegh said she doubted Khalifa would have consulted the tribal leaders about broadening political participation. She described the people of the region as being very simple and unconcerned about, and unaware of, politics. Their principal concerns are the availability of water for their lands, roads, and other facilities to make their lives easier. ¶5. (U) The Western Region of Abu Dhabi Emirate begins approximately 50 kilometers from the city of Abu Dhabi and stretches south and west to the Saudi border. The administrative region consists of 52 villages and an administrative capital, Zayed City. The senior official who reports to Khalifa is Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed Al Qubaysi, formally known as the Ruler's Representative to the Western Region. A largely desert region, the emirate is engaged in some forestry on some 250,000 acres. The Western Region is also home to the UAE's main onshore oil fields and largest oil refinery, located in Ruwais. Many of the 30,000 people of Ruwais work for the state oil company ADNOC. Liwa, where the President held his meetings, is a summer resort with a luxurious hotel, an oasis, and farms. Marfa, another Western Region town, has a desalination plant and a power plant. ¶6. (C) Comment: President Khalifa's visit to the Western Region of Abu Dhabi Emirate was comparable to the traditional tribal practice of the ruler going out to meet his people. This outreach could have been a preview of the way Khalifa intends to approach UAE citizens on the issue of widening political participation in Abu Dhabi Emirate, and eventually to the other emirates. End comment. SISON