CONSUL GENERAL AND NEW FOREIGN MINISTRY DIRECTOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L JEDDAH 000535 SIPDIS SIPDIS RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP; PARIS FOR ZEYA; LONDON FOR TSOU E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2016 TAGS: ABLD AMGT KISL OFDP PREL SA SUBJECT: CONSUL GENERAL AND NEW FOREIGN MINISTRY DIRECTOR GENERAL DISCUSS NEED FOR NEW CONSULATE Classified By: Consul General Tatiana Gfoeller, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: On August 9, the CG and Pol/Econ Chief made a courtesy call on Ambassador Mohammed Tayyeb, the newly appointed Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) for the Mecca Region. The Director General offered the Ministry's support in developing a New Consulate Compound. The CG offered a brief history of the search for a new site for the Consulate General and described the current locations under consideration in central Jeddah and Obhur. The Ambassador recommended Obhur as a growing area with improving access to central Jeddah. Tayyeb noted that the Saudi government spends four months every year in Jeddah adding considerably to the duties of the regional MFA office and the Consulate. END SUMMARY. NEW DIRECTOR GENERAL ¶2. (U) On August 9, the Consul General and Pol/Econ Chief paid a courtesy call on Ambassador Mohammed ben Ahmed Tayyeb. Ambassador Tayyeb assumed the position of Director General of the Makka Al Mukarramah Region of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 29. Ambassador Tayyeb was educated in the United States in Arizona and Michigan. A political specialist, he served as First Secretary at the Saudi Embassy in Paris in the late 1980s. For eight years prior to his current appointment, Tayyeb served as foreign affairs advisor to Minister of Culture and Information, Iyad bin Ameen al-Madani. MINISTRY ANXIOUS TO ASSIST CONSULATE ¶3. (U) In the course of a cordial meeting, Ambassador Tayyeb expressed his and the Ministry's desire to assist the Consulate General and facilitate its operations. He assured the CG that the security of diplomatic representatives was a primary objective of the Saudi government. The CG expressed her gratitude and singled out the SANG for their diligence and alertness over the past year. UPDATE ON SEARCH FOR CONSULATE SITE ¶4. (C) The CG briefed the Ambassador on the current status of the search for a site for a New Consulate Compound. She described the two potential sites currently under consideration; one in central Jeddah and a second in Obhur on the northern edge of Jeddah. Ambassador Tayyeb expressed his opinion that although more distant, the site in Obhur had advantages. Jeddah is rapidly expanding, and the preponderant growth has been to the north-west, towards Obhur. Construction of a bridge over Obhur Creek is imminent and will speed travel between that area and the central city. (Note: At a meeting the previous day with the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, reported in septel, the Chairman explained that expansion of the airport and realignment of Jeddah traffic patterns will make travel from the northern outskirts to central Jeddah much quicker in the future. End note.) Additionally, many important individuals reside along the Red Sea shore in Obhur making security better than in less exclusive areas nearer central Jeddah. Obhur is also close to the airport. JEDDAH SUMMER CAPITAL OF SAUDI ARABIA ¶5. (U) In discussing the operations of the Consulate, Ambassador Tayyeb noted that while Jeddah has historically been the commercial capital of the Kingdom, during four months of the year, when the King and the Court are in residence, Jeddah is the de facto capital of the country. This observation was brought home by the fact that this meeting took place in the former royal palace built by King Ibn Saud in 1944 and used by him for many years. During this period, all of the visitors who would meet with the King and senior officials travel to Jeddah rather than Riyadh. Gfoeller