CONVERSATION WITH TABUK GOVERNOR: "ROAD MAP,"

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 JEDDAH 000379

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP,
NEA/IPA, NEA/FO FOR ERIN WALSH; PARIS FOR ZEYA; LONDON FOR
TSOU

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2016
TAGS: ECON KISL KPAL KWMN PREL PTER SA SCUL
SUBJECT: CONVERSATION WITH TABUK GOVERNOR: "ROAD MAP,"
EXTREMISM, REFORM, AND EDUCATION IN NORTHERN SAUDI ARABIA.

Classified By: Consul General Tatiana Gfoeller, for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: On May 16, the Consul General and Pol/Econ
Chief met Prince Fahad, Governor of Tabuk. In a wide-ranging
discussion of Middle Eastern and domestic conditions, Prince
Fahad singled out the Palestinian problem as the most
critical issue and a fundamental cause of extremism in the
region and called for U.S. and world support for the Peace
Process. Fahad strongly backed the administration's Iraq
policy and lauded President Bush personally. The Governor
insisted that the Saudi-Jordanian border was secure. He
discussed his support for improving the position of women,
but advocated measured change to permit social attitudes to
evolve. Fahad supported dramatically increasing travel
between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, and asked that the mission
facilitate issuance of student visas. In response to the
CG's advocacy of greater cooperation in the education field,
he introduced the prospect of seeking a U.S. university as a
joint operator of a new university in Tabuk. Prince Fahad
keeps close control of affairs in the region. END SUMMARY.

TABUK OCCUPIES SENSITIVE POSITION IN THE MIDDLE EAST


2. (C) On May 16, the Consul General and Pol/Econ Chief met
with long-serving Tabuk Governor Prince Fahad bin Sultan bin
Abdulaziz. The meeting was held in the executive office of
the Governor's Palace in the city of Tabuk. The Governor
inaugurated the meeting with a lengthy summary of his
observations on the Middle East situation. He first
accentuated his role as Governor of a province occupying a
critical location in the Middle East, observing that from
Al-Haql, the northern-most Saudi community on the Gulf of
Aqaba, one could look down the road to Jordan, then across
the Gulf to the Egyptian Sinai and between the two lay
Israel. Although stressing its geographical proximity to
other important parts of the Middle East, significantly, the
Governor avoided any reference to the large military presence
in Tabuk. In fact, Tabuk, the city, is headquarters of the
army and air force commands guarding northwestern Saudi
Arabia, as well as units that guard the sensitive
Saudi-Jordanian border and 700 km. of coastline.

PALESTINE PROBLEM THREATENS TO INFECT THE REGION


3. (C) Prince Fahad voiced great concern over the
Palestinian debacle. He warned that continuing disorder
there could inspire extremism throughout the Middle East. He
assured the CG that Saudi Arabia was doing everything
practicable to eradicate extremism in the Kingdom, but
cautioned that solving the Palestinian problem was the only
decisive way to undermine the call of extremists. He
strongly endorsed the "Road Map," as well as other
international efforts to end the conflict, such as the plan
advanced by King Abdullah, while still Crown Prince, at the
Arab League.

ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS MUST "SIT AND TALK"


4. (C) Elaborating on Palestine, he asserted that the
solution ultimately depended on negotiations between the
Israelis and the Palestinians. They must "sit and talk."
The Governor was quick to add that all of the problems must
be solved, such as the Syrian problem, in order to ensure
that all parties will be satisfied and not create obstacles
which could derail an agreement.

DEMOCRACY WILL FORCE HAMAS TO NEGOTIATE OR RESIGN


5. (C) The Governor conceded that HAMAS will be reluctant to
negotiate, but he suggested that the democratic process that
brought them to power could force them to act responsibly.
In voting for HAMAS, he suggested, the Palestinians were
voting for a government that functioned, in contrast to a
corrupt, ineffectual Fatah. Already, HAMAS is failing to
maintain government services which discredits its claim to
authority. If the Palestinian President negotiates, the

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HAMAS-dominated Palestinian Authority will have the choice of
collaborating in negotiations or resigning and calling for
new elections. Fahad believed that this will ultimately be
beneficial for the Peace Process.

BUSH MUST PUSH ISRAEL TO ENGAGE PALESTINIANS


6. (C) The major powers, the Quartet, led by the U.S., and
other influential powers such as Japan and China, and the
Arabs, led by Egypt and Saudi Arabia, must be prepared to
support the Peace Process. He noted that President Bush is
soon to meet with new Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, and he
pleaded that the President push the Israelis to engage in the
Peace Process. "Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas)," he announced,
"is the legitimate representative of the Palestinians and the
Israelis should negotiate with him. If the Palestinian
Authority does not support his agreements," he repeated,
"they should call new elections and allow the people to vote."

WORLD MUST PREVENT THE SUFFERING OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE


7. (C) While the Peace Process continues, the world
community must, Fahad insisted, succor the Palestinian
people. He warned that continued suffering by the people
would be a catastrophe, not only for the Palestinian people,
but for other nations whose populations are sympathetic to
the Palestinians. Anger against the West and Arab
governments seen as indifferent to the lot of the
Palestinians is growing rapidly in those states. There
followed a passionate soliloquy questioning how anyone could
sleep knowing of the terrible suffering endured by the
innocent people of the Palestinian territories.

IRAQ: HISTORY WILL VINDICATE PRESIDENT BUSH


8. (C) In reference to Iraq, Prince Fahad admitted that Iraq
constituted a very dangerous threat, but he believed that the
cost was justified. He pronounced Saddam Hussein "probably
the worst ruler in the Middle East in 2,000 or 3,000 years."
Continuing, he said the Iraqi people are being betrayed by
opportunists and blamed the media for exaggerated reports and
propaganda that encouraged the insurgents. As an example, he
cited the fact that the preponderance of the violence is
Iraqi on Iraqi violence, not involving American troops.
Although concerned about the situation, he endorsed Egyptian
President Mubarak's assessment that a pull-out now would be
disastrous. He ended by extolling "George Bush (as a leader
who) had the will to make tough decisions and the strength to
see the mission Qugh." He commeQd the President for his
steadfastneQ and expressed confidence that "History will
support his decision."

JORDANIAN BORDER PEACEFUL AND WELL PATROLLED?


9. (C) After the Governor had concluded his remarks, the CG
inquired about conditions along the border, specifically if
there had been any problems with weapons smuggling, since the
media had reported arms connected with HAMAS being discovered
in southern Jordan. The Governor responded positively
stating that he had no knowledge of any smuggling or arms
trafficking in the border region. He said that King Abdullah
is doing his utmost to secure the border which is closely
monitored and patrolled. He also expressed his satisfaction
at the degree of cooperation between Jordan and the Kingdom
in ensuring border security. He ended by saying there were
no border troubles in Saudi Arabia. NOTE: On the following
day, May 17, the Saudi Gazette carried a small article saying
that Police in Tabuk seized five rifles, a pistol and a
machine gun and ammunition. END NOTE.

TOURISM


10. (C) The CG next asked the Governor about the prospects
for tourism in the region. Fahad answered that tourism was
viewed as an important sector for economic growth in the
region. Domestic and religious tourism represents the
primary target, but the Governor also intends to encourage

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non-Muslim tourists. He reported that representatives of a
German academic institution had just visited Taima in
connection with archaeological researches. He recommended
the many archaeological sites within the state and invited
the CG to visit the region's museums and ruins.

ROLE OF WOMEN


11. (C) Prince Fahad also expressed his support for
improving the status of women. He has proposed that the
local cultural society should be opened for women and noted
that in many fields women had already made important strides,
although this has gone unnoticed by the press. He said that
that very night, he was participating in a ceremony to
present awards sponsored by the Kingdom recognizing the ten
best farms in each state. These awards were among the most
prestigious awards in the agricultural sector, and two of the
10 awards in Tabuk were being presented to women.

U.S.-SAUDI WOMEN'S NETWORK


12. (C) The CG brought up the prospective visit of NEA
Senior Advisor Elizabeth Walsh to Saudi Arabia in June or
July in order to promote a network between Saudi Arabian and
American women. The Governor expressed a willingness to
support such a program, but he strongly advised against any
visit to the Kingdom in June or July. Domestic custom
results in a substantial portion of the key figures being
away from their homes during this interval. He personally
recommended that Ms. Walsh consider the dates September 9-23.

REFORM MUST OVERCOME CUSTOM, NOT RELIGION


13. (C) Continuing on the theme of the role of women, he
said he personally disliked making a distinction between men
and women. People are people in his estimation, and it is
false and useless to attempt to make artificial distinctions
between them. However, he admitted that there are very
deeply held social customs prevailing in the Kingdom that
limit the freedom of women. He lamented that the West
typically ascribes this condition to the Islamic religion,
rather than social custom. He cautioned that government
should not attempt to emancipate women through laws. He felt
it was unwise to attempt to legislate changes in social
attitudes. While delaying reform now, he was confident that
changes in social attitudes will occur in the fullness of
time. He volunteered that this change would be beneficial to
the society and economy. He observed that there were
approximately 1.3 million foreigners employed as drivers in
Saudi Arabia. "If women were able to drive," he estimated,
"600,000 to 700,000 drivers would no longer be needed and
could be sent home, and all that money could be devoted to
more useful activities here."

MUST BURNISH IMAGE OF SAUDI ARABIA


14. (C) The Governor deplored the poor image Saudi Arabia
endured in the West. For this, he primarily blamed the
media, which only focuses on the negative. He advocated
increased interchange between academics and business-people
and strongly supported travel by Saudis to the United States.
Recalling his own student days, he was confident that if
Saudis visited the U.S., and not just the major coastal
cities, but the heartland, they would return with respect for
the U.S., and Americans would develop an understanding of
Arabs and Muslims.


15. (C) The Governor was very pleased that there were now
more than 10,000 Saudi students studying in the U.S., but
reminded us that when he was studying at the University of
Southern California in the early 1970's, there were over
40,000 Saudi students in the U.S. He insisted that it was
vital to reach that figure again. He then advised us that
"The Embassy must be gentle with visas," although he hastily
added that there could be no compromise on security.

FORGING NEW SAUDI-AMERICAN CONNECTIONS

JEDDAH 00000379 004.2 OF 005




16. (C) The Consul General asked the Governor if there was
any assistance the Consulate could offer to help promote
development. The Governor promised that at that night's
awards ceremony, he would mention the Consulate and encourage
people to employ its resources. The CG also informed the
Governor that the Consulate had hired a new Education Adviser
and offered her services to interested Saudi students to help
them make better decisions involving educational
opportunities in America. Accepting this offer with
gratitude, Prince Fahad mentioned that the Saudi government
had just agreed to permit construction of a new private
university in Tabuk. The initial phase would be a
polytechnic teaching computers, science and technology. This
phase would be followed by medical and engineering faculties.
The college's supporters plan to approach an American
university to act as joint operator. According to the
Governor, Columbia is their primary choice for partner, and
he requested assistance from the Consulate in pursuing this
plan.

THE GOVERNOR'S LEGACY APPARENT AROUND TABUK


17. (C) The meeting was followed by a short tour of Tabuk.
The guide insisted on showing the CG a new auditorium and
convention center, named after the governor, which the
managers proudly stated could hold more than 2,000 people and
was available to all government organizations for assemblies
and conferences. The CG agreed that it would be a suitable
venue for large gatherings. In response to the CG's inquiry,
the manager stated that theatrical or other entertainment
events were not contemplated.


18. (C) There followed a tour of a new social and cultural
center, also named after the Prince, which offers meeting
rooms, computers, a library, natural history education, and
sports and a swimming pool. The Director, a doctor, proudly
told the CG that patrons are required to undergo a physical
examination to ensure they are free of dermatological and
contagious conditions before they may swim in the pool.
Although open to all residents without cost, the facility
requires all potential patrons to first join the association
managing the complex. While presently open only to men, the
managers are currently considering establishing alternating
days in which women will be permitted to use the center and
its facilities.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES


19. (C) Born in Riyadh on October 20, 1950, Prince Fahad bin
Sultan bin Abdulaziz is the full brother of former Ambassador
to the United States Prince Sultan. Fahad obtained a B.A. in
History from King Saud University in Riyadh in 1970 and
earned a postgraduate degree in History from the University
of Southern California. He has headed several UN social
welfare commissions and has been the Acting President of the
Saudi Youth Welfare organization. He is Vice President of
the Saudi Soccer Association, the Saudi Olympic Committee and
President of the Saudi Athletics Association and Arab
Athletics Association. He headed the Saudi mission to the
Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984. He has been governor of
Tabuk since about 1987. He is reputed to be very proud of
Tabuk's agriculture, especially its cut flower industry.

GOVERNOR CALLS THE SHOTS


20. (C) Prince Fahad is indisputably a modernizer who sees
change as essential to the future of the Kingdom, but is not
inclined to push development faster than he believes social
attitudes will easily accept. He is also known as an
iron-fisted administrator, so much so that he has earned the
sobriquet "Stalin" among some of his less admiring
countrymen. A glimpse of this controlling attitude may have
been provided by the CG,s visit. Application had been made
to visit Prince Sultan Air Force base in Tabuk, where three
American officers are stationed. After weeks of hesitation,
MFA intimated that the visit would be permitted. As the day

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of the trip approached, encouraging signs continued to be
offered to the Consulate that the visit would be approved,
although probably only on the morning of the visit. Only
after the CG was in Tabuk was the visit finally denied.
Sources hinted that the visit was canceled because the
Governor did not approve. It was also suggested that an
earlier request to visit the commanding officer of the Tabuk
border command had also been denied at the instigation of the
Governor. Also worthy of passing comment is the fact that
for the first time during her numerous trips around the
consular district, the CG's hotel room was guarded by armed
soldiers.


21. (C) COMMENT: This Governor, like most others, supports
modernization. However, this governor, according to all
evidence, is determined to call the shots himself. He is
only likely to cooperate with initiatives that appeal to him,
and is unlikely to accede to and would probably obstruct any
initiatives with which he does not agree. Consequently, any
efforts to promote U.S.-Saudi cooperation in Tabuk will have
to be pursued very carefully, ensuring that they do not
arouse the Governor's opposition. END COMMENT.
Gfoeller