Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07RIYADH2100
2007-10-16 13:00:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Riyadh
Cable title:  

SCENESETTER FOR VISIT OF FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED

Tags:  KWMN OVIP PHUM PREL SA 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRH #2100/01 2891300
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 161300Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6763
INFO RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH PRIORITY 9142
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS RIYADH 002100 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA/ARP, NEA/PI, NEA/PPD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KWMN OVIP PHUM PREL SA
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR VISIT OF FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED
STATES MRS. LAURA BUSH

UNCLAS RIYADH 002100

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA/ARP, NEA/PI, NEA/PPD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KWMN OVIP PHUM PREL SA
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR VISIT OF FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED
STATES MRS. LAURA BUSH


1. Ambassador Ford M. Fraker and the entire U.S. Mission in
Saudi Arabia warmly welcome the First Lady of the United
States Mrs. Laura Bush to Riyadh and Jeddah. The First
Lady's visit comes at an opportune moment to underscore the
importance and strength of the U.S.- Saudi bilateral
relationship. The focus of her visit, the launch of the U.
S.- Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and
Research, is a new dimension to the relationship that puts
the spotlight on a matter of human concern common to peoples
worldwide. King Abdullah has taken a special interest in
Mrs. Bush's visit and will be meeting with her in Jeddah.
Princess Hessa Bent Tarrad Al-Shalan, the King's wife, will
host Mrs. Bush for a private dinner with other prominent
Saudi women.

- - - - -
OVERVIEW
- - - - -


2. Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East
and occupies a land area equivalent to the United States east
of the Mississippi River. It is a traditional Islamic
monarchy ruled by King Abdullah, a direct descendant of King
Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, who established the Kingdom in 1932.
Saudi Arabia has a Consultative Assembly, the Majlis
al-Shura, which consists of 150 appointed representatives of
major regions, families, businesses, and social groupings.
Saudi Arabia has the largest proven oil reserves in the
world; hence its importance to the global economy which
shapes its external relations. Buoyed by high oil prices,
the Saudi economy is expected to attain 5.4 percent growth in

2008. Saudi Arabia joined the World Trade Organization in

2005.


3. Saudi Arabia,s total population is approximately 27
million, which includes 6.14 million foreigners. It's
population is very young, with some sources estimating that
70 percent of the citizen population is 21 years old or
younger. Saudis are ethnic Arabs, but there has been some
intermingling with Turkish, Iranian, Indonesian, Indian, and
African peoples. The majority of the population is Sunni
Muslim; however, there is a significant non-Muslim population
primarily comprised of third country nationals, as well as a
Shi,a Muslim minority of approximately two million.


4. Islam is the official religion, and the Government

considers it a sacred duty to safeguard the two greatest
shrines of Islam, located in the holy cities of Mecca and
Medina. The Great Mosque in Mecca, with the cubed,
black-draped Kaaba at its open-air center, is the major focal
point of Islam. It is the Kaaba toward which all Muslims
pray. Travel by non-Muslims into the cities of Mecca and
Medina is prohibited. The public practice of non-Muslim
religions is prohibited; however, as a matter of policy, the
government confirmed that it guarantees and protects the
right to private worship for all, including non-Muslims who
gather in homes for religious practice. In September 2004,
Saudi Arabia was added to the list of Countries of Particular
Concern on religious freedom issues.

--------------
WOMEN
--------------


5. Law and custom discriminate against women in Saudi
Arabia. While they have the right to own property and are
entitled to financial support from husbands or male
relatives, women have few political or social rights and are
not treated as equal members of society. There are no active
women's rights groups per se. Women are increasingly vocal
about their concerns. High priority issues include access
to greater professional employment opportunities, as well as
improved educational opportunities for themselves and their
children. Domestic violence and frequent divorce are
additional issues. Women in Saudi Arabia are restricted
compared to western standards. They are not allowed to drive
and most women do not appear in public alone. Women cannot
travel without the permission of their male "guardian," and
among the more conservative Saudi men, female family members
are not mentioned in conversation. Saudi women appear veiled
in public, wearing the "abaya," the traditional black cloak
that covers the wearer from head to toe, in some cases,
including the face. Segregation of the sexes is strictly
enforced, and there are separate "women,s sections" in many
places of employment, including government ministries.
However, some workplaces, especially those in the
banking/financial sector, are integrated.


6. Education and economic rights for Saudi women have slowly
improved in recent years. Girls were not permitted to attend
school in Saudi Arabia until 1964, but now more than half of
the country's university students are female, although
university campuses are gender-segregated as well. By royal
decree, 30 percent of the staffs of government ministries are
required to be female; however, many ministries still do not
have female employees and none have achieved the required
level. There are increasing employment opportunities for
women in the private sector. In 2004, women won the right to
hold commercial licenses, which opened the door for greater
economic participation. In addition, women have become
somewhat more visible in Saudi society. For example, in
2005, Saudi state television began using women as
newscasters. Although women are not allowed to practice law
in Saudi courts, there are a limited number of women lawyers
and several law programs have recently been established to
train women in the Kingdom. In 2006, women gained the right
to establish their own engineering firms, and there are
increasingly more female entrepreneurs and business women.


7. Women were not permitted to vote in the 2005 municipal
council elections, and it remains unclear whether they will
be allowed to participate in the proposed 2009 elections.
However, professional organizations such as the local
chambers of commerce and industry elect members of their
boards of directors. In 2005, women were allowed to vote and
run for positions on the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and
Industry as well as for the Eastern Province Chamber in 2006.
Two women were elected to Jeddah's Chamber Board of
Directors, which also includes several appointed female
members.

- - - - - -
HEALTH CARE
- - - - - -


8. The government provides Saudi citizens free health care
from cradle to grave. Generally medical facilities and
equipment in major urban centers in Saudi Arabia are
comparable with what is available in the U.S. There are many
male and female Saudi physicians, many of whom are graduates
of Saudi medical schools. The Saudis are very supportive of
scientific research and advancement through such institutions
as the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology and the
Saudi university system, as well as the many hospitals in the
Kingdom. Many Saudis hold Ph.D,s in the sciences from
American institutions of higher education and welcome
interaction with scientists from the U.S.


9. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in
Saudi Arabia. There are no active governmental or private
screening programs for breast cancer in the Kingdom.
According to the National Cancer Registry, about 1,000 new
patients were reported this past year. The incidence of the
disease is still lower than other Gulf countries and other
parts of the world. However, Saudi medical authorities
attribute the lower numbers to inadequate screening.
Incidences are not diagnosed, and not even all of those
diagnosed are reported. Saudi medical experts tell us that
forty percent of cases where patients' cancer has not spread,
is nonetheless at an advanced stage of the disease. Breast
cancer strikes Saudi women at a younger age than the
worldwide average. While there are limited efforts in a few
cities to promote awareness about breast cancer, there are no
national organizations dedicated to this effort. In the next
15 years once the large youth population reaches middle age,
Saudi medical experts predict the number of breast cancer
cases will double in the Kingdom.

- - - - -
EDUCATION
- - - - -


10. Saudi Arabia has a nationwide public educational system
comprising primary and secondary schools, colleges and
universities, as well as technical and training institutions.
Over 25 percent of the annual national budget is allotted to
education, including vocational training. Students are
segregated by gender in schools, usually beginning at the age
of seven. The Saudi government announced that it is engaged
in a ten-year effort to revise textbooks, curricula and
teaching methods. It has undertaken efforts to remove
intolerant language that deprecates other religions from
teaching materials. There has been some progress with fewer
negative references to non-Muslims, but the process is far
from complete.


11. Public education, including post-secondary studies-- are
free to all Saudi citizens. Historically, a large percentage
of Saudi students pursued their degrees in the United States,
particularly in the 1970's and 1980's. The majority of the
current Saudi cabinet are U.S. graduates. The emergence of
local universities in the Kingdom after this period, coupled
with an increasingly stressed national budget due to moderate
oil prices and explosive population growth, meant fewer
students were later sent to the U.S. In 2005, the Saudi
government launched the King Abdullah Scholarship program for
students to pursue higher education abroad. The U.S.
continues to host the largest percentage of these students,
roughly 15,000 in 2006 studying at over 700 U.S. institutions
of higher learning.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
YOUTH, CULTURE, AND SPORTS
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -


12. The Ministry of Culture and Information is responsible
for all cultural programs and oversees the activities of the
King Fahd Cultural Center, the Saudi Society for Culture and
Arts, the Administration of Folklore and public libraries and
the literary clubs. The Ministry supports the development of
visual arts such as painting and photography, and sponsors
many art exhibitions each year throughout the Kingdom. Saudi
Arabia does not have public movie theaters, and live stage
dramas and musical events are rare. Saudi youth do
participate in boy scout troops which are found in most urban
centers. Soccer is a major national passion. Women rarely
participate in outside sports, and when they do, it is always
away from the presence of men. Women are not permitted to
attend public sports events.

FRAKER