NEW SOUTH AFRICAN CONSUL GENERAL SPEAKS OF TRADE,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JEDDAH 000086

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARPI;
PARIS FOR ZEYA; LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2015
TAGS: ETRD IR KISL KNNP PARM PREL SA SF
SUBJECT: NEW SOUTH AFRICAN CONSUL GENERAL SPEAKS OF TRADE,
HAJJIS, OIC, AND IRAN

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


1. (C) SUMMARY: At an introductory meeting on January 29,
new South African Consul General Mahdi Basadien described his
mission to promote South African trade, particularly in
mining and defense. His post also supports some 27,000 South
Africans who travel to Saudi Arabia each year on pilgrimage.
His consulate will host a security evaluation team in
February and has asked for a briefing from the Consulate
General's RSO and ACS officers. He reported that South
Africa's application for observer status at the Organization
of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is being delayed by Arab
fears that other African states will insist on observer
status and obtain access to OIC funding agencies. Basadien
also commented on the Iranian election and efforts to limit
Ahmadinejad's authority. In the event of a UN vote on
sanctions against Iran, Basadien believed that South Africa
would be inclined to abstain. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) On January 29, newly arrived South African Consul
General Mahdi Basadien visited the Consul General and
Pol/Econ Chief for an introductory meeting. Basadien appears
to be in his early forties. He entered the South African
Foreign Ministry in 1994 and is a Middle East specialist. He
has served in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and completed
a four-year tour as Political Counselor in Iran in December
2005, immediately before coming to Jeddah.

SOUTH AFRICAN CONSULATE DEALS WITH TRADE AND PILGRIMS


3. (C) The South African Consulate General in Jeddah is a
small post, consisting of the Consul General and two other
officers. The Consul General described his goals in Jeddah
as promoting trade and supporting South African citizens
traveling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj or Umrah.

TRADE PROSPECTS


4. (C) South Africa is attracted to the booming Saudi
economy, but believes that it has failed to penetrate the
market satisfactorily. The Consul admitted that South
Africa's growing, but relatively small "Black Power"
enterprises have not found it easy to compete in the Saudi
economy. He also revealed that at least in the Arab World,
the admiration for Nelson Mandela has not transformed to
admiration for the nation of South Africa. In fact, he has
observed a pronounced anti-African prejudice in Saudi
society. The CG concurred, describing incidents when
accompanying Saudis have disparaged Africans to her as being
primitive and the cause of crime and disease in the Kingdom.
Basadien said his government has identified mining and the
defense sector as two areas where they could make inroads,
both sectors being relatively highly developed in South
Africa.

HAJJ AND UMRAH PILGRIMS OCCUPY CONSULATE FOR MUCH OF THE YEAR


5. (C) Providing support for Muslim pilgrims is a major task
for the Consulate. Although only some 2% of the South
African population is Muslim, the South African government
endorses pilgrimage and provides support. Preparations for
the Hajj occupy the Consulate for about three months every
year. South Africa has a quota of 2,000 hajjis per year, but
in recent years an average of 7,500 South Africans have
actually made the pilgrimage. Obtaining a waiver every year
from the Hajj Ministry for the additional 5,500 pilgrims is
one of the Consulate's major initiatives with the KSA.
During the remainder of the year approximately 20,000 South
African's come to KSA for Umrah.

IN JEDDAH SECURITY IS ALWAYS A CONSIDERATION


6. (C) In common with all diplomats in Jeddah, Basadien is
concerned about post security and the safety of his country's
approximately 9,000 nationals, in the event of a crisis. He
informed the CG that on February 6, a South African team will
arrive in Jeddah to evaluate the security environment and

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emergency plans for the evacuation of South Africans. He
requested a briefing from the American Consulate General on
these subjects. The CG agreed that Consulate RSO and ACS
officers will meet the team.

SOUTH AFRICA IN THE OIC?


7. (C) Basadien reported that South Africa's application for
observer status at the Organization of Islamic Countries
(OIC) is progressing well, but some obstacles remain.
Curiously, there is apparently little opposition to South
Africa gaining observer status, but some Arab states object
to setting a precedent which may lead to other African states
gaining observer status. This, they fear, would give many
poor states access to Islamic financial institutions. South
Africa's strong economy apparently insulates it from the
charge that it would impose on Islamic finances.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP IN OIC ARE INCONSISTENT


8. (C) There ensued a discussion on exactly what qualified a
country for membership or observer status in the OIC.
Formally, members are supposed to be majority Muslim states
and have a Muslim or Islamic government. However, South
Africa's population is only 2% Muslim and it has a secular
government. Turkey, another secular state, and Lebanon, with
its complex multi-sectarian governmental structure, are
members. India, however, although possessing the second
largest Muslim population of any country, will not be allowed
observer status, and has historically been viewed as
exhibiting an anti-Islamic outlook. According to Basadien,
South Africa is acceptable because of the historical links
forged during the Apartheid struggle when the Islamic
organization was an early supporter. Russia, which has
applied for observer status, in Basadien's view, will not be
accorded observer status.

SOUTH AFRICAN VIEWS ON IRAN


9. (C) Since the new Consul General just left Iran after an
extended residence, Pol/Econ Chief asked him to share his
views on Iran, President Ahmadinejad, and South Africa's
position on sanctions. His first observation was that the
general population of Iran remains far more progressive than
the government. Unfortunately the progressive elements have
not been able to break the conservatives' hold on political
power. In regards to the election, according to Basadien,
there was no attractive candidate. An early candidate was
thought to be using his relationship with powerful political
elements to grab office and then use it to enrich himself.
Consequently, with the support of the Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps (IRGC),Ahmadinejad was put forward as a
compromise candidate. Basadien had met Ahmadinejad once, but
stated on the opinion of contacts that Ahmadinejad is
expressing his own prejudices and is viewed as a person who
cannot be controlled. There is consternation in the Iranian
government about his actions, but he has the "total" support
of the IRGC and the rest of the leadership does not want to
reveal fractures in the government to the public or outside
world. However, some efforts are being made to circumscribe
his power. Basadien has been told that Khamenei quietly
removed certain governmental powers from the Presidency.

SOUTH AFRICA WORRIED ABOUT CALL FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN


10. (C) In discussing the possibility that Iran's efforts to
enrich nuclear materials could lead to a vote for sanctions
against Iran in the United Nations, Basadien admitted that
South Africa is very apprehensive that sanctions would injury
its economy. South Africa, he reminded Pol/Econ Chief,
obtains about one-third of its oil supplies from Iran, and
sanctions would represent a serious threat to the economy.
When pressed about South Africa's position, Basadien said
their position would be influenced by the debate preceding
the vote and especially provisions made to buffer
oil-dependent economies from oil starvation. When it
ultimately came to a vote, solely in his person opinion, he
suspected that South Africa would abstain.

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Gfoeller