Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06JEDDAH596
2006-09-09 09:18:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Jeddah
Cable title:  

JEDDAH JOURNAL 18: OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN;

Tags:  EAIR KISL KWMN PREL SA SOCI 
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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 090918Z SEP 06
FM AMCONSUL JEDDAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9497
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1524
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1603
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 6816
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000596 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP;
PARIS FOR WALLER; LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR KISL KWMN PREL SA SOCI
SUBJECT: JEDDAH JOURNAL 18: OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN;
AIRLINES UNABLE TO MEET PASSENGER DEMAND; SAUDIS REACT TO
CONVICTION IN U.S. FOR "NORMAL MUSLIM BEHAVIOR;" PORT OF
JEDDAH REPORTS INCREASED VOLUME; LAWSUIT OVER COUNCIL
ELECTIONS CONTINUES

FOREIGN WOMEN HAVE OPPORTUNITY CLOSED TO SAUDI WOMEN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000596

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP;
PARIS FOR WALLER; LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR KISL KWMN PREL SA SOCI
SUBJECT: JEDDAH JOURNAL 18: OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN;
AIRLINES UNABLE TO MEET PASSENGER DEMAND; SAUDIS REACT TO
CONVICTION IN U.S. FOR "NORMAL MUSLIM BEHAVIOR;" PORT OF
JEDDAH REPORTS INCREASED VOLUME; LAWSUIT OVER COUNCIL
ELECTIONS CONTINUES

FOREIGN WOMEN HAVE OPPORTUNITY CLOSED TO SAUDI WOMEN


1. The English-language Saudi Gazette reported today on
another clash between historic Saudi custom and the demands
of a modern economy. Saudi women are complaining that a law
in force since 1965 prohibits them from obtaining licenses to
operate beauty shops, but recent efforts to promote business
allows foreign women to operation these establishments.
Consequently, the Saudi women complain, they must take a
foreign woman partner if they want to start a beauty shop.
One Saudi woman admitted that she had operated a beauty shop
for thirteen years, under the guise of a tailor shop, which
she is permitted to run. Especially galling to a Saudi woman
who had spent three years attempting to persuade Saudi
authorities to grant her a permit, is that SAGIA, which was
formed to encourage foreign investment, is able to obtain
licenses for foreign women to start beauty parlors in only a
few days.

SAUDI WOMEN MAY TELECOMMUTE


2. The Saudi Labor Ministry has announced that it is
studying telecommuting as a means of employing more women.
The Ministry source boasted that telecommuting "will create
tens of thousands of job opportunities for women." The
Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Telecommunications and
Information Technology are surveying the infrastructure
necessary to establish women's work centers from which women
could carry out their work on the internet. Some women
expressed skepticism saying that relatively limited
opportunities would be available and continued isolation
would prevent women from moving into jobs in the world at
large.

CONCERN FOR HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION GROWING IN
SAUDI ARABIA


3. Residents of an industrial district in Jeddah have
complained to the newspapers about the toxic fumes and
pollution caused by an asphalt plant located in their
neighborhood. The disgruntled residents have been

complaining to the municipal government for several years,
and the local government, for its part, urged the factory to
relocate, but has no legal authority to enforce regulations,
despite the factory's clear violation of minimal health and
safety standards. Now the resident have gone public citing
declining health among residents and a serious safety hazard
created by the transport of flammable products through their
neighborhood. COMMENT: This incident underscores the need
for environmental regulation in the expanding and
increasingly industrialized cities of Saudi Arabia. It also
demonstrates that Saudi citizens are becoming bolder in
demanding proper service from government. END COMMENT.

SAUDI GROUP ENCOURAGES WOMEN TO PURSUE ART AS A PROFESSION


3. A group called the Young Women's Society of Saudi and
Expatriate Women held a two-day art exhibition at the Lina
Center on fashionable Tahlia Street in Jeddah. The stated
purpose of the group is to encourage young Saudi and
expatriate women to pursue art as a profession. Although
many colleges offer instruction in art, art is still seen
primarily as a means of self-expression, rather than a
potential career. This group hopes to change that attitude.
Twelve Saudi women exhibited works. Although not
well-publicized, and sparsely attended on the first day, the
final attendance was sufficiently large to encourage the
group to plan more exhibitions in the future. COMMENT: It
should be noted that a number of the works exhibited
portrayed people, which is contrary to Islamic tradition.
END COMMENT.

MORE AIRLINE SEATS NEEDED IN SAUDI ARABIA


4. The end-of-vacation rush of travelers back to the Kingdom
has unleashed a flurry of complaints about the lack of
passenger capacity. The papers are filled with complaints
from weary travelers who were unable to find seats to get
them back to Saudi Arabia when they wished. Some passengers

JEDDAH 00000596 002 OF 002

SUBJECT: JEDDAH JOURNAL 18: OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN;
AIRLINES UNABLE TO MEET PASSENGER DEMAND; SAUDIS REACT TO
CONVICTION IN U.S. FOR "NORMAL MUSLIM BEHAVIOR;" PORT OF
JEDDAH REPORTS INCREASED VOLUME; LAWSUIT OVER COUNCIL
ELECTIONS CONTINUES

returning from Asia complained that their confirmed seats
were canceled only to discover that they had been sold to
other passengers who had bribed airline officials for space.
COMMENT: This confirms that the Saudi aviation sector could
comfortably support greater airline capacity. END COMMENT.

SAUDI CONVICTED IN US BLAMES ISLAMOPHOBIA


5. The recent conviction of Saudi graduate student Homaidan
al-Turki in Colorado for sexual assault, false imprisonment,
and labor law violations continues to attract attention in
Saudi Arabia. The student's claim that his arrest and
conviction was an example of Western prejudice against
Muslims struck a sympathetic chord among Saudis aggrieved by
the suspicion they arouse since the 9/11 attacks. At-Turki
insisted that the U.S. courts are prosecuting him for normal
Saudi practices. The papers gave prominent display to
al-Turki's assertion that the woman "was treated as any
observant Muslim family would treat his daughter" and quoted
his defiant statement to the judge that: "I am not here to
apologize, for I cannot apologize for things I did not do and
for crimes I did not commit. The state has criminalized
these basic Muslim behaviors." (Note: The "normal Muslim
practice" leading to his prosecution was reported to be that
the maid was forced to sleep in an unfinished basement room
in al-Turki's Denver home, and was paid less than $2.00 per
day. The charges of sexual assault he insisted were false,
incited by angry FBI officials' pressure on the maid. End
note.)

SAUDIS PROTEST CONVICTION


6. A number of Saudi students commented that this case had
raised their fears that they also will be targets of biased
and arbitrary legal action merely for pursuing Islamic
behavior. Several suggested that Saudi students reconsider
attending school in the United States. Saudi officials have
also expressed concern about the case. At the opening of a
educational exhibition in Mecca, Prince Ahman, Deputy
Interior Minister, told reporters that: "We think the
sentence is unfair," and assured questioners that the Saudi
government was attempting to persuade U.S. authorities to
reduce the sentence. Inspired by al-Turki's wife, an SMS
(short message system) cell-phone campaign has been calling
for a boycott of U.S. products in support of al-Turki.

JEDDAH PORT REPORTS INCREASE IN VOLUME


7. The Jeddah Islamic Port announced an 18.5% increase in
volume of cargo handled in 2005 compared to the previous
year. The port authority also noted that a recent survey had
listed the Port of Jeddah as the 27th largest in the world,
in terms of volume, up from 30th place. Jeddah is the second
largest port in the Middle East behind Dubai. Currently
operating two terminals, an agreement was signed this year
for construction of a third terminal which will increase the
port's capacity by approximately 50%.

LAWSUIT OVER COUNCIL ELECTIONS CONTINUES


8. The long-running legal contest over last year's local
council elections in Jeddah continues. A group of 150 losing
candidates have asked the Minister of Municipalities and
Rural Affairs to refrain from naming candidates for the
vacant non-elected seats on the council, until the court has
ruled on their allegations of electoral improprieties.

GOLD LIST ENDORSEMENT IMPROPER


9. The basis for the group's lawsuit is that the "Golden
List" slate which had received endorsements from religious
leaders benefited because their names were sent anonymously
on the internet and through text messaging systems to
thousands of potential voters accompanied by a religious
endorsement. An attorney for the litigants expressed
optimism that they would prevail after four months of
hearings.
Gfoeller