DECEMBER 2006 MEETING OF STRATEGIC DIALOGUE HUMAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 000397

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPAO PINR KISL KWMN SA
SUBJECT: DECEMBER 2006 MEETING OF STRATEGIC DIALOGUE HUMAN
DEVELOPMENT WORKING GROUP

Classified By: Ambassador James C. Oberwetter for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).

1.(C) SUMMARY. The U.S. - Saudi Arabia Strategic Dialogue
Human Development Working Group (HDWG),led by Near East
Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) Scott Carpenter, met
December 3-4 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The working group
discussed a proposal for the FDR-Abdul Aziz scholarship
program, which the Saudis agreed to consider. Saudi
participants said the recently completed 6th National
Dialogue focused on 1) education; 2) teacher
training/certification; 3) educational technology; and 4)
school infrastructure/environment. The Dialogue conducted 13
sessions throughout the Kingdom, resulting in recommendations
to review educational policy and curricula, modernize, and
provide training to teachers -- a project estimated to
require two to three years to complete. The SAG is currently
revising textbooks to eliminate unacceptable language,
building 6,000 new schools, equipping 2,000 with computers
and Internet access, and developing "schoolwork/homework"
portals.


2. (C) U.S. delegates proposed a number of exchange and
educational programs, including an interfaith dialogue and
legislative and judicial exchanges. Ambassador noted the
significant increase of information exchanges as part of the
Strategic Dialogue, emphasizing that such exchanges have
helped to shape policy decisions. Bureau of Democracy, Human
Rights, and Labor DAS Erica Barks-Ruggles noted ongoing
discussions with the Federal Judiciary to identify possible
exchanges that focus on such areas as court administration.
Saudi representatives expressed interest in several of the
proposed programs. DOJ Resident Legal Advisor Michael
Gunnison emphasized that prosecutors must also be included in
such programs, offering to engage with the SAG on such issues
as money laundering and counterterrorism finance.


3. (C) Saudi delegates complained about delays in obtaining
U.S. visas for students and renewing I-20s. DCM noted that
the implementation of on-line application and electronic
payment systems has helped reduce processing time for visa
applications. He noted that fraudulent scholarship letters
continue to be a problem, emphasizing that an official,
unified list of scholarship participants would help
streamline the verification process. END SUMMARY.


4. (SBU) The U.S.- Saudi Arabia Strategic Dialogue Human
Development Working Group (HDWG) met December 3-4 in Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia. The U.S. delegation, led by NEA DAS Scott
Carpenter, comprised the following:

James C. Oberwetter - Ambassador
Michael Gfoeller - Deputy Chief of Mission
Tatiana Gfoeller - Consul General Jeddah
Walter Douglas - Public Affairs Counselor
Erica Barks-Ruggles - DAS, DRL
Thomas Farrell - DAS, Bureau of Education and Cultural
Affairs (ECA)
James Filpi - Attorney-Advisor, International Commercial Law
Development Program (CLDP),Department of Commerce
Michael Gunnison - Resident Legal Advisor, Overseas
Prosecutorial Development Assistance program (OPDAT),U.S.
Department of Justice
Laura Lederer - Senior Advisor to the Undersecretary of State
for Global Affairs
Brian Shukan - Senior Saudi Arabia Desk Officer, NEA
Donna Ives - ECA
Kathryn Lurie - International Religious Freedom (IRF),DRL

The Saudi delegation was led by Prince Mohammed bin Saud bin
Khalid bin Mohammed Al Saud, Director General of the
Information and Studies Center, MFA, and included:

Dr. Abdulmalik Ahmed Al Shaikh - Special Advisor to the
Minister of Justice
Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Hamad Al Senany - deputy Minister of
Interior for Provincial Affairs
Dr. Ali Saleh Saeed Al Khabti - Assistant Deputy Minister for
Research and Educational Studies
Dr. Rayed Krimly - Deputy Director of the Western Department,
MFA
Dr. Zaid A.Z. Al Hussain - member of the Majlis al Shoura and
Human Rights Commission
Dr. Abdullah Ibrahim a. Al Mojel, Deputy Minister of Higher
Education
Abubakr Ahmed A. Baqader - Ministry of Culture and Information

Dr. Abdulwahed Al Humaid - Deputy Minister of Labor for
Planning and Development
Dr. Abdallah F. Al Lheedan - Ministry of Islamic Affairs
Abdulaziz Al Hadlaq - Director General, International
Cooperation, Ministry of Social Affairs
Salman H. Al Shabib - Second Secretary, MFA

--------------
Education and Exchanges
--------------


5. (C) Following opening statements by Prince Mohammed and
Carpenter, the discussion turned to education and exchanges.
Farrell emphasized that education and educational exchanges
are at the heart of any movement forward. He said the Saudi
embassy's cultural and education mission had joined the U.S.
- Saudi Study Group to discuss relevant issues, particularly
the FDR-Abdul Aziz scholarship program. He noted the
unprecedented number of Saudi students currently
participating in scholarship programs and discussed other
possible areas for exchanges.


6. (C) Farrell recounted that during discussions with the
Saudi Educational Mission, they had suggested that the
FDR-Abdul Aziz scholarship program was redundant, so more
targeted programs needed to be considered. He suggested: 1)
pre-collegiate programs such as English-language training
with U.S. institutions of higher learning; 2) junior faculty
sabbatical programs in the U.S.; and 3) collaborative
research for graduate students.


7. (C) Deputy Minister of Education Al Mojel replied that his
ministry would look at the proposal before responding. He
observed, however, that the current proposal has weaknesses,
saying questions about the types of majors, age problems,
criteria for selection, and funding must first be resolved.
He suggested that a working group be formed to look into
this. The U.S. delegation suggested that it might make more
sense to rethink the entire program. (NOTE: The Deputy
Minister later that evening sent a representative to tell ECA
that the Ministry remains committed to the FDR-Abdul Aziz
scholarship program and would welcome further discussions.
END NOTE.)


8. (C) Ambassador noted the significant increase of
information exchanges as part of the Strategic Dialogue,
emphasizing that such exchanges have helped to shape policy
decisions. These exchanges are particularly important, he
stated, when it comes to discussing those subjects that have
typically been difficult to broach in the bilateral
relationship, such as religious freedom.

--------------
Visa Issues
--------------


9. (C) Al Mojel said that delays in obtaining U.S. visas and
renewing I-20s, particularly in cases where students have
changed their course of study, continues to be problematic
for Saudis studying in the United States. Additionally, he
claimed, students have been detained if they do not meet
language or credit-hour requirements, and deported in some
cases. He accused some authorities of mistreating students
at the ports of entry, and complained that students'
inability to obtain social security numbers prevents them
from even opening bank accounts in the U.S. MoJ special
Advisor Al Shaikh suggested that the problem is not only with
students, calling it a "cultural problem." He pointed out
that there must be "goodwill" on both sides and
responsibility lies with the Saudis, as well as the Americans.


10. (C) DCM enumerated several changes that have recently
been implemented to help address some of the Saudis'
concerns. He noted that Post has processed over 50,000 visa
applications this year and has significantly reduced
processing time. The implementation of on-line application
and electronic payment systems has contributed to the reduced
processing time, and the fact that Consulate Dhahran has
begun limited via services has also helped. He emphasized,
however, that fraudulent scholarship letters continues to be
problematic and, despite repeated requests for a unified list
of scholarship participants from MoHE -- which would speed up
processing by streamlining the verification process -- MoHE
has not yet provided this list. Al Mojel stated that MoHE
has developed a new scholarship letter to prevent this kind
of fraud, but the DCM pointed out that the Consular section

continues to receive fraudulent letters and that a
consolidated list is the optimal solution. (NOTE: MoHE has
since provided to Post this list. END NOTE.) He also
stated that it would be helpful to extend student visas to
four or five years duration; however, it must be reciprocal
-- the Saudis must be willing to issue visas of similar
duration.


11. (C) In response to Carpenter's request for an update
regarding revisions to curricula and teacher training,
Assistant Deputy Minister for Research and Educational
Studies Dr. Al Khabti said this was the focus of the recently
concluded 6th National Dialogue, which focused on four major
areas: 1) education; 2) teacher training/certification; 3)
educational technology; and 4) school
infrastructure/environment. The Dialogue conducted 13
sessions throughout the Kingdom, which resulted in
recommendations to review educational policy and curricula,
modernize, and provide training to teachers. He said that
the SAG is currently reforming the curriculum to include the
skills needed to compete in the global economy. He also
noted that textbooks are being revised to eliminate
unacceptable language. Additionally, the SAG is building
6,000 new schools, equipping 2,000 with computers and
Internet access, and developing "schoolwork/homework"
portals.


12. (C) Al Khabti emphasized the need for well-trained
teachers, noting discussions to change the qualifications for
teachers in order to raise the standards. He said the SAG is
still trying to pinpoint the problems before attempting to
solve them. Committees have been established in all the
provinces to review the 572 textbooks that are part of the
educational system. An overall review committee looks at the
recommendations of all the committees and liaises between
them and the ministry. Al Khabti anticipates that it will
take two to three years to rewrite the texts and complete the
project.


13. (C) The discussion turned to the possible expansion of
religious educational programs, and IRF's Kathryn Lurie
raised the possibility of an interfaith dialogue. Carpenter
noted that approximately 90 religious educators have traveled
to the U.S. A constructive next step, he suggested, would be
for similar delegations to travel to Saudi Arabia, asking how
this proposal could move forward. He emphasized that the
most important thing is to get the process started so that
the exchanges can take place in both directions.


14. (C) MFA's Krimly stated that this proposal has been
"referred to the proper authorities" and a response is
pending. The Ambassador stated that we are expanding our
contacts at the agency-to-agency level and asked the Saudi
participants to suggest potential institutional
opportunities. He noted that the U.S. has a many cultural
programs "of every flavor," one of the most successful being
the religious exchanges. PAO Walter Douglas noted programs
focusing on medical issues such as attention deficit
disorder, a jazz band that will perform in Jeddah, and an
Arab culture program at the Kennedy Center in Spring 2009
that the president of the Kennedy Center recently traveled to
the Kingdom to announce.


15. (C) Ministry of Culture and Information's Abubakr Baqader
outlined plans for Saudi "cultural days," which will focus on
music, theater, and digital photographs. He said there are
agreements in place with Senegal, Azerbaijan, and Algeria for
cultural exchanges. He also noted the availability of
several exhibits for exchange, such as a virtual desert, and
said female novelists will be conducting a roundtable in
Tunisia.

--------------
Judicial and Legislative Exchanges
--------------


16. (C) Barks-Ruggles discussed during the second plenary
session the IFES and National Conference of State
Legislatures (NCSL) proposals, noting that the NCSL proposal
complements what has already been agreed upon at the federal
level. Prince Mohammed confirmed that the Saudis are in
discussion with IFES to work with Saudi municipal councils
and the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MoMRA),but
said the SAG is still studying the proposal. He indicated
that MoMRA is interested in the technical aspects of
elections. The Majlis Al Shoura, he noted, is an independent


body. "All we can do is advise them," he stated, "what they
do is their decision." MoI's Al Senany said that the SAG
prefers to operate under a "governmental umbrella," i.e., on
a government-to-government basis.


17. (C) Barks-Ruggles continued that there are ongoing
discussions with the Federal Judiciary to identify possible
exchanges focusing on such areas as court administration.
James Filpi added that the CLDP program represents a
juxtaposition of economic and human development issues,
focusing on exchanges of legal experts from the U.S. and
around the world. Bringing legal education experts to the
U.S., he said, would help to prepare the next generation for
the future in a global economy. He noted that Islamic law
studies is the fastest growing facet of jurisprudence in the
United States, with Islamic finance another growing area.


18. (C) Barks-Ruggles suggested academic and personal
exchanges, symposia, and internships at identified law firms.
MoJ's Al Shaikh agreed to the value of such an approach,
noting that MoHE has the lead on such exchanges. Al Mojel
stated that a "technical committee" needs to discuss the
details, but expressed great interest in the legal studies
component of the proposal. He said the SAG has cooperated
with France and the UK on such issues in the past, and would
like to add U.S. institutions to the distinguished scholars
program list. He indicated that he would like to see an
internship program implemented and was supportive of
conducting symposia, but reiterated the need to look at the
proposal more closely.


19. (C) DOJ Regional Legal Advisor Gunnison suggested
including prosecutors must also be included in such programs,
briefly outlining DOJ's OPDAT program. He offered to engage
with the SAG on relevant issues -- particularly money
laundering and counterterrorism finance -- noting that he can
arrange for other expertise as well. He agreed to follow up
on this offer with SAG representatives attending the upcoming
Abu Dhabi conference. Al Shaikh pointed out that the SAG
would like to be a "model" that shows Shari'a is applicable
to a free market economy, emphasizing "we want this to work."


--------------
Human Rights
--------------


20. (C) Turning to human rights, Barks-Ruggles asked whether
a database exists for tracking human rights abuses, how cases
are adjudicated, and how the U.S. could collaborate with the
SAG on domestic violence issues. HRC's Al Hussein stated
that the media exaggerates some cases and that, as
appropriate, cases are referred to the Government for
appropriate action. He claimed that there are no issues with
minorities and that they are even represented on the HRC. Al
Hussein also said that the Government is dealing harshly with
discrimination -- "to let it go means that it would spread
rapidly." He advised that, according to Islam, it is the
King's duty to educate the people regarding respect for human
rights. To that end, he said, the SAG is planning to launch
a media campaign to inform the public of its rights and
duties.


21. (C) Al Senany added that five years ago, MoI established
a human rights component, and Hadlaq said the Ministry of
Social Affairs also has a Social Consultations Unit that is
staffed with experts -- psychologists, social workers, and
legal experts. There is also a hotline, he said, and the
Ministry recently established a Social Protection Unit.

--------------
Breast Cancer Program
--------------


22. (C) Regarding the Breast Cancer program, Prince Mohammed
noted his discussions with NEA Senior Advisor Erin Walsh
about the involvement of NGOs, Saudi women, Princess Haifa,
and Dr. Suad. He said that these discussions have been
informal and that some key ministries were not aware of the
proposal. He indicated that a cancer program already exists
in Riyadh, and said efforts should be coordinated with that
group. Prince Mohammed stated that the Ministry of Health
would work with the U.S. on this effort. Carpenter noted
that the King Fahd and MD Anderson connections are in place,
but more needs to be done regarding the Susan B. Komen
Foundation and awareness connection. He emphasized that the

USG looks forward to working with the Saudi Cancer Society
and the Ministry of Health. The Deputy Minister of Social
Affairs offered assistance to this effort, adding that he and
Dr. Suad had agreed that any association must be with a
government organization.

--------------
Women in Technology (WIT)
--------------


23. (C) Prince Mohammed said he had spoken with Al-Nahda,
which indicated that it is working with Microsoft. Carpenter
replied that the WIT program was launched in Jeddah and
suggested further discussion about how to address an
important need. He explained that WIT is now geared as a
charity program to reach Saudis who could not make it into
the Social Affairs Ministry program, asking how best to move
the program forward.


24. (C) Carpenter and Prince Mohammed closed the meeting by
reiterating the critical role the HDWG plays in facilitating
discussions on a broad range of key issues. Prince Mohammed
emphasized that this liaison function must be
institutionalized in order to sustain and build on the
progress that has been made.

OBERWETTER