YOUNGEST MEMBER OF CHINA DELEGATION PROVIDES

C O N F I D E N T I A L JEDDAH 000098

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2016
TAGS: KISL PTER PREL SA
SUBJECT: YOUNGEST MEMBER OF CHINA DELEGATION PROVIDES
INSIGHTS ON KING


Classified By: CONSUL GENERAL TATIANA C. GFOELLER FOR REASONS
1.4 (b) AND (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY. Poloff met on January 29 the youngest member
of the delegation of Saudi private citizens that accompanied
King Abdullah on his much-heralded recent visit to China.
Sultan al-Attar, who turned 25 on the trip, was effusive in
his praise for King Abdullah, highlighting the King's ability
to overcome the generational divide that seems to keep so
many Saudi young men from relating with enior members of the
royal family. He also stressed that King Abdullah
consistently spoke of women's rights on the trip, and
frequently expressed his pride that Saudi women were included
in the delegation. END SUMMARY.

"I LOVE HIM TEN TIMES MORE NOW"


2. (C) On his recent visit to China, King Abdullah brought
along a delegation of private Saudi citizens. In a January
29 meeting, Sultan al-Attar, who works for the National
Commercial Bank in Jeddah, told Poloff that he was the
youngest member of the delegation. "I turned 25 on the trip,
and the next youngest person was 33," he explained. The young
man said that the SAG sent a private delegation of Saudis
along with the King in an attempt to increase
people-to-people contacts with China, and to give the Chinese
"the real information about Saudi Arabia." Al-Attar, who
graduated from Portland State University, was effusive in his
praise for the King. "I love him ten times more now than
before the trip," he declared.


3. (C) As Post often reports, Jeddawi young men frequently
cite the generational divide between themselves and senior
members of the royal family. In addition, in a consistent
trend, Jeddawi young men often express respect and even
affection for King Abdullah, while reserving varying degrees
of criticism for the rest of the royal family and the SAG as
a whole. Al-Attar's comments highlight the King's ability to
overcome the generational divide that appears to plague other
senior members of the royal family. "You should hear when he
talks, you can feel how much he loves the people. He is
always thinking about the people," he said. "He is like one
of our grandparents who sits with us in the room and says
nice things," he added.

KING SUPPORTS SAUDI WOMEN


4. (C) Al-Attar noted that the King was particularly
supportive of women on the trip, and expressed pride that
Saudi women were in the delegation. "He is always talking
about women's rights, and he was always telling the women to
come to the front of the delegation." Socializing with
al-Attar, his Kuwaiti wife, and another Saudi couple, the
group argued about where to eat dinner. When Poloff
suggested the guys defer to the women's choice, al-Attar
responded: "No, I have just spent a lot of time with King
Abdullah. I am tired of always going with the women's
choice. Let's have what the guys want for a change."

GROUP NOTES OPPOSITION TO OTHER ROYALS


5. (C) While eating a dinner of burgers in al-Attar's living
room and watching re-runs of the Saddam Hussein trial on
al-Jazeera, the group continued to praise the King.
Al-Attar's Saudi buddy attempted to make clear, however, that
his support for the King does not extend to other members of
the royal family. "Look, if we have men like King Abdullah,
the al-Saud can stay for a thousand years," he began.
Looking at Poloff, he concluded: "But you need to know people
do not like Prince Sultan. It will be very bad if he comes.
He will build a wall around Saudi Arabia."
Gfoeller