COUNTRY CLEARANCE APPROVAL FOR VISIT OF DEPUTY

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 006440

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

TREASURY FOR DEPUTY SECRETARY KIMMITT AND JROSE, STATE FOR
EB AND NEA/ARPI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2016
TAGS: OVIP EAID ECON EFIN PREL IZ SA
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE APPROVAL FOR VISIT OF DEPUTY
TREASURY SECRETARY KIMMITT AND PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT
SECRETARY JEFFREY TO SAUDI ARABIA


SIPDIS

REF: DTG TREASURY 112321Z

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Gfoeller
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) The U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia welcomes and grants
provisional country clearance for a delegation led by Deputy
Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt and Principal Assistant
Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ambassador James

SIPDIS
Jeffrey to visit the Kingdom August 14-15 to discuss
reconstruction assistance for Iraq with Saudi officials. Due
to recent severe budget cuts, the Mission must direct charge
all visit support costs. Country clearance is expressly
conditional on advance receipt or assurances that complete
fiscal data will be forwarded covering all support expenses
for all visitors and delegation members. Please see Para 5
for details.


2. (SBU) Mission Control Officer will be Counselor for
Economic Affairs Robert Silverman. The delegation will be met
upon arrival and transportation will be provided. Contact
numbers are: Consulate MSG Post 1 - (966-2) 667- 0080, Ext.
4377; Consulate Motorpool - (966-2) 667- 0080, Ext. 4356;
Control Officer Home (966-1)488-7251, Office Ext. 4237, Cell
Phone (966-55)355-2137, E-Mail Address: SilvermanR@state.gov.


3. (U) Hotel rooms have been arranged within per diem at the
Intercontinental Hotel, Tel. (966-2) 661-1800; Fax (966-2)
661-1145. Credit card or cash is acceptable at local hotels.


4. (U) The traveling party will be issued cell phones and
provided the numbers to the Embassy switchboard. Travelers
are required to have an active functioning cell phone at all
times.

Standard Advice to Travelers
--------------


5. (U) Visit Typical Expenses

a. VIP: We calculate the average cost per day/per person to
be approximately USD 197.00 for VIP visitors to any post in
Saudi Arabia. Actual costs will be charged to the fiscal
data provided.

Typical costs include, but are not limited to, American and
Locally Employed Staff's overtime, holiday pay and premium
pay as applicable, field travel by Embassy personnel,
transportation costs, vehicle rental, telephone installation
and service, equipment rental, printing expenses, supplies,
and any other costs that can be directly attributed to the
visit.

b. Operational Support: Typical costs include overtime for
Locally Employed Staff, overtime and mileage for motorpool if
after hours transportation required, cell phone and any other
costs that can be directly attributed to the visit.


6. (U) TDY of 30 Days or Longer

a. Certification that travelers remaining at post for 30
days or longer have completed the appropriate, mandatory
overseas personal security training, prior to arrival at post
(State 66580, March 25, 2004). Waivers to this requirement
may only be granted by the Chief of Mission. Requests should
be sent to Ambassador James Oberwetter or Charge Michael
Gfoeller.

b. For TDYers remaining at post over 30 days, there will be
a charge for ICASS support. If your sponsoring agency has
not signed up for ICASS services at post, please be prepared
to sign a MOU for ICASS support services upon arrival. The
sponsoring agency should provide post with written
authorization, generated by the traveler's headquarters, that
confirms the agency will pay ICASS charges for the TDYer, the
agency ICASS billing code and authorize the visitor to sign
the ICASS invoice generated by the TDY module. When travel
is urgent, visitor(s) should carry above-mentioned
documentation with them. Mission Saudi Arabia will not
provide service to a visitor(s) in excess of 30 days without
this documentation prior to day 31 of the TDY. For each
sponsoring agency that sends a series of TDYers for less than
30 days, the Mission will add total TDY days, and if the
total exceeds 30 days, they will count as a single TDY.

c. The Department of State Medical Unit recommends
vaccination against meningitis for all visitors to Saudi
Arabia. All employees, including WAEs and Civil Service
employees who are in TDY status for more than 60 days
(cumulatively) in a calendar year, are required to have
up-to-date medical clearances from the Office of Medical
Services at Class 1 or Class 2 levels in order to receive
full State Department medical benefits (3 FAM 1931.3, c,e).


7. (U) Security: As a result of the continuing terrorist
threat in Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates
General in Saudi Arabia became one-year unaccompanied posts
effective August 12, 2004.

All visitors to the U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia are required
to contact the Regional Security Office within 48 hours of
their arrival to schedule a post-specific security briefing,
mandatory for all PCS and TDY personnel, regardless of the
duration of your stay.

Travel is performed only in Embassy vehicles. Use of taxis,
private cars, hotel shuttles, and public transportation for
all travel within the city is not authorized.

Travelers to Saudi Arabia are advised that their hotel rooms
may be monitored during their stay in the Kingdom. Travelers
should report any unusual occurrences to the Embassy or
Consulate General RSO.

On December 6, 2004, there was an armed attack on the U.S.
Consulate in Jeddah, resulting in casualties among the
non-American staff and damage to consulate facilities. Due to
such targeted attacks against American facilities and
citizens, resulting in deaths, injuries and kidnappings, and
the continuing serious threat to their safety while in Saudi
Arabia, the Department of State continues to warn U.S.
citizens to defer travel to Saudi Arabia.

TDYers are reminded of the potential for further terrorist
actions against U.S. citizens abroad, including in the
Persian Gulf region. U.S.G. employees who travel to Saudi
Arabia are required to follow all security precautions as
prescribed by the Regional Security Officer including the use
of armored vehicles. From time to time, the U.S. Embassy and
Consulates in Saudi Arabia may restrict the travel of
official Americans or suspend public services for security
reasons.

Although counter-terrorism efforts have succeeded in
diminishing terrorist capabilities in Saudi Arabia, terrorist
groups continue to target housing compounds, hotels, methods
of transportation, and commercial establishments where
Westerners can be found. Saudi Government facilities are also
targets as demonstrated by the December 29, 2004 attempted
bombing of the Ministry of Interior. In addition to car bombs
and armed assaults involving multiple gunmen against such
facilities, terrorists have also used ambush attacks to
kidnap and/or assassinate individual Westerners. These
incidents argue strongly that U.S. citizens in Saudi Arabia
should maintain a low profile, keep travel to a minimum, vary
travel routes and times, and treat any mail from unfamiliar
sources with suspicion. American citizens are also cautioned
to remain alert and aware of their surroundings while moving
about the city.


8. (U) The Embassy approves the use of computers, laptops,
and digital camera(s) at post in accordance with 12 FAM 600
established regulations. Stand-alone use of laptop(s) will
be allowed, as are digital camera(s),but must stay outside
of the CAA areas. Prior notification of the use of camera(s)
must be approved by the RSO. It should be noted that Saudi
law, especially as it is interpreted in the capital of
Riyadh, rigidly controls photography. We strongly urge
visitors avoid taking photographs in any public place without
the express and prior involvement of the RSO.


9. (U) Visas: Visitors are also reminded that valid visas
for Saudi Arabia are required at all times. Travelers are
advised that submitting passport(s) to the Saudi authorities
that contain Israeli visa(s) may result in difficulties
securing Saudi visa or gaining entry to the Kingdom.
Official travelers to Saudi Arabia should request a two-year,
multiple-entry visa from the nearest Saudi Embassy or
Consulate.


10. (U) Passports: Visitors are reminded to keep a copy of
their passport with them at all times while in Saudi Arabia



as it may be needed for identification. The original should
be kept in a safe place.


11. (U) Prohibited Items: Strict Islamic law is the
foundation of the Kingdom's customs and practices. The norms
for public behavior are extremely conservative. Saudi Arabia
outlaws the importation, sale or use of alcohol in the
Kingdom, and visitors must not attempt to bring any alcohol,
pork products or printed materials that may be construed as
pornographic or proselytizing into the Kingdom. Penalties
include confiscation, fines and may extend to denial of
entry.


12. (U) Dress: While visiting the Kingdom, women and men
should dress conservatively. Guidance issued by the Saudi
Embassy in Washington states that non-Muslim women are not
required to wear an abayya, but should dress conservatively
(loose fitting skirts/dresses that fall well below the knee
with long sleeves and a high neckline) when in public. This
is also the position of the U.S. Embassy.

However, while Embassy personnel are not required to wear the
abayya and/or hijaab (scarf) on official business, many
Western women choose to wear the abayya and hijaab while
conducting their personal affairs in order to avoid unwanted
attention and/or harassment by the Mutawwa'in (religious
police). Upon request, the Embassy will loan female TDY
personnel abayyas for the duration of their TDY assignments.

It is the policy of the Embassy to support a woman in her
decision to wear or not wear the abayya and/or hijaab.


13. (U) Drugs: Saudi Arabia strictly prohibits the
importation of controlled substances, including narcotics,
methamphetamines, depressants and hallucinogens). The
penalty for violation of this law is death. Prescription
drugs in small quantities, clearly labeled, should cause no
difficulties. Problems arise when they are in large
quantities, unlabeled, or lack documentation (such as a copy
of the prescription),or when they are deemed illicit by
Saudi authorities. Many drugs sold in nearby countries
without a prescription are considered illegal here.
Individuals are arrested for possession of these drugs.
OBERWETTER