Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06CASABLANCA418
2006-04-27 13:19:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Casablanca
Cable title:  

YNNA HOLDINGS: A MULTI-NATIONAL MANAGED BY

Tags:  ECON EFIN EIND MO 
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VZCZCXRO6668
RR RUEHDE
DE RUEHCL #0418/01 1171319
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 271319Z APR 06
FM AMCONSUL CASABLANCA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6542
INFO RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 2792
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0627
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 7556
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 1919
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0026
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 CASABLANCA 000418 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/MAG AND NEA/OFI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2016
TAGS: ECON EFIN EIND MO
SUBJECT: YNNA HOLDINGS: A MULTI-NATIONAL MANAGED BY
ISLAMIC PRINCIPLES?

REF: A. 05 CASABLANCA 01220


B. 05 RABAT 01159

Classified By:
Principal Officer Douglas Greene for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

--------
SUMMARY:
--------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 CASABLANCA 000418

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/MAG AND NEA/OFI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2016
TAGS: ECON EFIN EIND MO
SUBJECT: YNNA HOLDINGS: A MULTI-NATIONAL MANAGED BY
ISLAMIC PRINCIPLES?

REF: A. 05 CASABLANCA 01220


B. 05 RABAT 01159

Classified By:
Principal Officer Douglas Greene for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

--------------
SUMMARY:
--------------

1. (C) SUMMARY: Ynna Holdings -- one of Morocco's largest
and most successful privately owned industrial and financial
groups -- is a family-owned multi-national with business
practices strongly influenced by Islamic principles.
Ynna-owned supermarkets and hotels sell neither alcohol nor
tobacco. The company avoids paying interest on loans by
financing most of its ventures from its own resources.
Founder Miloud Chaabi celebrates his modest beginnings and
takes pride in having assembled his empire without close
governmental or royal connections. However, some critics
argue Ynna Holdings succeeds precisely because of its
associations with the Moroccan royal, political and business
elite. Observers question the intertwined relationship
between Ynna Holdings and the royally-controlled conglomerate
Omnium Nord Africain (ONA) as well as the overtly political
nature of Chaabi's own family. Miloud Chaabi himself is an
"independent" Member of Parliament (MP) representing his home
district near Essaouira. His daughter is the well-known
Mayor of Essaouira. In addition, one son is Mayor of Soussi
(Rabat) and another is an MP with the Islamist Party of
Justice and Development (PJD). Despite some negative
opinions held by some in the business community, Miloud
Chaabi enjoys a national reputation among the Moroccan public
as a self-made "man of the people." He is widely respected
for his business acumen, his philanthropic endeavors and his
commitment to religion. End Summary.

YNNA: A MODERN "ISLAMIC" COMPANY?


2. (C) Miloud Chaabi began building Ynna when he was
twenty-one years old by founding a real estate company in
Kenitra (that has since become one of the largest in
Morocco). Since then, his holdings have grown to include
over a dozen companies in five different countries with more

than 12,000 employees. Today Ynna is comprised of three
operational pillars: 1) real estate and construction, 2)
industrial holdings and 3) emerging sectors (currently
distribution and tourism). Miloud Chaabi's industrial
holdings serve mostly Moroccan domestic demand; he only
exports to countries without local competition.
Internationally, the company operates much like a private
equity group, buying local companies and restructuring them.
The Chaabi Group officially became Ynna Holdings in 1986.
Ynna is Berber for 'Mother" and Miloud Chaabi renamed his
group as a homage "to all mothers." The new name also
reflects how he sees Ynna's relationship with subsidiary
companies (maternal and nurturing),in contrast to the
patriarchal (strict and domineering) culture found among many
Moroccan firms.


3. (C) Omar Chaabi, Miloud Chaabi,s young, U.S.-educated
son, is a senior executive in the family business.
Consistent with his modern marketing background, he sports a
business card with the title &Change Manager.8 He bristles
at attempts to categorize Ynna as "Islamic," describing such
claims as exaggerated and overblown. For example, he
characterizes Ynna's decision not to sell alcohol or tobacco
in its hotels and supermarkets as a reflection of personal
principle, not dogmatic religious belief. "Even gangsters
have principles," he joked to econoff. Moreover, Omar Chaabi
reminded, "selling alcohol to Muslims is against the law in
Morocco anyway," a pointed reference to competitors that
openly sell alcool to Muslims and non-Muslims alike (and
link thmselves precariously to a corrupt enforcement systm
in the process). He argues that firms operatingin the Arab
world need to adapt to the Muslim maket, which is different
from the West. "Sure, i might not work in the U.S. or
Europe," he conceed to econoff, "but in Morocco the market
existsfor hotels and supermarkets that reflect culturalvalues." Omar Chaabi made the point that many Westrn firms
fail in the Middle East and North Afric precisely because
they resist adapting to the clture. "We can sell lots of
things" he conclude, "why sell things that hurt people?"


4. (C) Oservers also point to Miloud Chaabi's
unwillingnss to pay interest as evidence of Islamic
princiles influencing his business practices. Again, hi

CASABLANCA 00000418 002 OF 004


son is dismissive and explains the decision is purely
practical. "You can't build a business on bank money," he
argues, citing interests rates of more than 8%. "It is
cheaper to finance projects ourselves; it makes us more
competitive." Omar Chaabi recounted to econoff a story his
father tells of seeing his banker lounging by the pool of his
hotel in Marrakech with a cigar and a drink. "I can't
believe I work for him," the elder Chaabi realized, and
decided to avoid borrowing money as much as possible. "If
you ask people who don't know my father to draw a picture of
him," Omar Chaabi explained, "people will draw a picture of a
Mullah with a long beard, but my father is not like that. He
doesn't have a beard and he plays golf every day. He's a
very modern guy."


5. (C) Miloud Chaabi himself projects a much more
conservative image than his son portrayed. During a private
lunch with the Ambassador on March 27, Miloud Chabbi
addressed the question of Ynna as an Islamic company by
expounding authoritatively on Islamic history. He explained
how the great Islamic empires failed because those regimes
"drifted away from their Islamic principles." Speaking in
Arabic and quoting the Koran, Miloud described Islam as a
religion founded in "peace justice and human rights."
However, he described a vision of justice incorporating "an
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." "How can a society
function without justice?" he asked. As to his company's
Islamic influences, Miloud
Chaabi was unimpressed with the potential profits he
sacrifices by not selling alcohol or tobacco. "I'm not a
fundamentalist," he insists, "If I am out at a business
dinner and my guests order alcohol, I will pay for it. Not
selling alcohol is just our way of doing things."


6. (C) Miloud Chaabi explained further to the Ambassador
that his hotel in Essaouira hosts a Jewish group every year
that brings in its own food and alcohol. "I have no problem
with that," he said, arguing the group stays with him because
of the quality of service his hotels provide. "They could
stay in Azoulay's hotel," Miloud Chaabi boasted, (referring
to the Sofitel hotel owned by the prominent Jewish palace
advisor Andre Azoulay),"but instead they stay at mine." He
argued (like his son) that a market exists for Islamic
enterprises. Miloud Chaabi went on to say that "Americans
need to throw away their cowboy hats" when looking to invest
in the Middle East and North Africa. "It's different here,"
he explained, and by way of example described Ynna's approach
to corruption. "Everyone in the West talks about how Egypt
is so corrupt, but I have been there for years and never paid
a bribe," he insisted. Miloud Chaabi argued that
bribe-seekers "know who to look for," and that his company's
reputation for integrity means he never gets hassled. When
the Ambassador pointed out that Ynna's considerable size and
influence might contribute to that as well, Miloud Chaabi
responded that even the smallest U.S. companies can "call on
the U.S. Ambassador to help them...that is a powerful
privilege, too."

YNNA RELATIONSHIP WITH GOVERNMENT AND PALACE


7. (C) Miloud Chaabi is proud of his modest beginnings and
&up from the bootstraps8 &self-made man8 story. He takes
pride in expanding his business ostensibly without strong
government or royal connections, despite his family's active
role in politics and his company's intertwined relationship
with ONA, the royally controlled conglomerate. To
demonstrate Ynna,s "independence", company officials boast
that it is the only Moroccan company to successfully sue the
Moroccan tax authority. Omar Chaabi jokes that Ynna may be
the only company in Morocco that "pays all of its taxes."
Despite these claims, some remain unconvinced. As several
Casablanca-based contacts cryptically observed "no business
succeeds in Morocco against the wishes of the Palace."

YNNA AND ONA: AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE?


8. (C) Omar Chaabi describes Ynna's relationship with the
royal family-controlled conglomerate ONA (ref A) succinctly:
"They are our biggest client, our biggest competitor and our
biggest supplier." When asked about the obvious conflicts of
interest implicit in that arrangement, he was mildly evasive:
"that's never been a problem." Ynna also conducts 90% of its
banking with Attijariwafa bank, (ref B) which is majority
owned by ONA. Ynna's cagey responses to questions about its
relationship with ONA give credence to criticism that Ynna is
yet another "makhzen" (a Moroccan term for the circle of

CASABLANCA 00000418 003 OF 004


elites close to the king) enterprise and not so independent
from the Moroccan royal, political, and business elite as
company officials would like people to think.

YNNA AND MOROCCAN POLITICS: A FAMILY AFFAIR?


9. (C) Although Miloud Chaabi and his son fervently insist
Ynna has no political connections or agenda, the Chaabi
family itself is undeniably active in politics. Miloud
Chaabi himself is a Member of
Parliament (MP) representing his home district of Essaouira.
He recently resigned from the Socialist Party (USFP) after
being affiliated with the Istiqlal party for many years. He
now considers himself "independent." Miloud Chaabi has a son
who is mayor of Souissi (a Rabat neighborhood) and another
who is an MP with the PJD, Morocco's legal Islamist party.
His Oxford-educated daughter is the nationally-known
Socialist party mayor of Essaouira, Asma Chaabi. She has
been the subject of numerous media profiles and has
participated in several USG-funded programs as an Arab-female
political success story. Omar Chaabi joked that despite how
well known his father is, his sister "sometimes gets more
spotlight." He confided to econoff that his family still
jokes about the U.S. Embassy Fourth of July party when his
father was introduced as "the father of the Mayor of
Essaouira."

YNNA: WHAT DOES THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THINK?


10. (C) Banking contacts comment almost universally on
Ynna's lack of transparency. One banker suggested that
transparency issues are why Ynna must self-finance ventures.
Banks are uncomfortable lending without full financial
disclosure. Other bankers added that while it is true that
commercial credit is not the cheapest source for growing a
business, there is always the option of private equity and
venture capital funds. Miloud Chaabi shuns unnecessary
financial disclosures or shared ownership. Another
investment banker described Ynna as "aggressive, but not well
structured." He argued that Ynna is quick to diversify into
areas "that don't integrate well into existing businesses.8
However, he conceded that lack of financial disclosure "makes
it difficult to understand its business strategy."


11. (C) Business contacts are generally cynical of Ynna's
claims to be "independent" of the government and palace and
several alluded to rumors of unsavory business practices,
especially early on in Miloud Chaabi's career. Some rumors
took a dark tone, alleging Ynna strong-armed small-scale
property owners and sold asbestos-lined water pipes to
municipal governments. Other rumors are more innocuous,
claiming for example that female bankers were separated from
the men at a Ynna-conducted meeting with a local bank.
However, these stories could conceivably be borne of
jealously, amount to idle gossip, or considered a reflection
of growing unease in the Casablanca-based business community
to perceived Islamist encroachment in the public sector.
(Econoff was unable to confirm first-hand the bank anecdote,
for example; some bankers responded that they "could imagine
that happening" while others quickly dismissed the story as
nonsense.)

YNNA: BIG FISH, SMALL POND?


12. (C) Omar Chaabi admits that Ynna is not looking toward
advancing business interests with the United States, despite
the newly implemented U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement. He
complained that the U.S. market is too big. Moroccans "can
really only succeed (in the United States) in niche markets,"
he argued. Ynna is quite profitable in existing regions and
"isn't hungry to chase after the U.S. market." He also
acknowledged the role of language and cultural barriers; "We
don't have many English-speaking employees here," he
admitted.


13. (C) Miloud Chaabi wasted no time during his March 27
private lunch with the Ambassador to ask what could be done
to encourage American foreign investment in Morocco,
stressing its importance for developing Morocco's economy.
"I have invested over $1 billion in the Arab world" he
boasted, "why are Americans so scared?" Miloud Chaabi
chastised fearful American investors and warned of
encroaching gains in North Africa by Chinese businessman and
entrepreneurs. "They are not fearful and they know how to
adapt," he noted ominously. At the same time however, Miloud
Chaabi harshly criticized recent investments by U.S.-based

CASABLANCA 00000418 004 OF 004


International Paper and Colony Capital, a hint that the
Chaabi family prefers American investment only in industries
that don't directly compete with its interests.

--------------
COMMENT:
--------------


14. (C) Comment: Despite Miloud's son Omar's (at times
defensive) protestations and resistance of the "Islamic"
label, Ynna Holdings does seem to reflect certain Islamic
principles of his father. The elder Chaabi enjoys
considerable credibility and respect among the general public
and represents to some a possible "third way" for Islamic
businessman and entrepreneurs to approach Western-dominated
globalization without sacrificing religious principles.
Several banks in Morocco are considering introducing Islamic
financial products. Ynna,s experience demonstrates that
there is a profitable market for services that reflect
cultural values. At the same time, Chaabi's and Ynna,s
story is more nuanced than the public image suggests. He is
in many ways as much a reflection of the traditional, closed
Moroccan cultural business context as he is an exception to
it. Nonetheless, Ynna's public reputation and success could
make it an excellent partner for USG efforts to deliver the
message that economic liberalization does not have to
engender cultural assimilation.


15. (U) This cable has been cleared by Ambassador Riley.
GREENE