IRAQ/IRAN: KARBALA EAGER FOR PILGRIMS WITH DEEP POCKETS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002426 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/IR AND NEA/I. E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PECON IR IZ SUBJECT: IRAQ/IRAN: KARBALA EAGER FOR PILGRIMS WITH DEEP POCKETS REF: A. BAGHDAD 2287 ¶B. BAGHDAD 1876 ¶C. BAGHDAD 1100 Classified By: Political Counselor Yuri Kim for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: According to the governor of Karbala and the brother of the imam of the al-Abbas shrine, Iran continues to exert a dominating influence, notably in business dealings in Karbala province. Both interlocutors lamented Iraq's inability to negotiate with the Iranians for more favorable terms for Iraqi businesses in the lucrative religious tourism sector, water rights, and other key areas. With security improving over the past year, Karbala is experiencing a resurgence of economic activity, including visible construction in the city. However, the city's potential for luring and benefiting from religious tourism and increased foreign investment remains to be realized given a slow government bureaucracy, inadequate incentives for investors, and lingering concerns about long-term security. Determined to project its "soft power" in Iraq, Iran is likely to continue to play a dominant role in Karbala and other predominantly Shia cities, especially those with religious cachet. END SUMMARY AND COMMENT. Show Me the Money -------------- ¶2. (C) During an August 31 meeting with PRT and visiting Emboffs (Iran Watcher and Econoff),Karbala's Dawa party governor, Amal al-Din al-Hir, discussed Iran's role in the province's lucrative religious tourism industry. Governor Amal al-Din, himself a long-time former resident of Iran, complained about Iran's abusive and heavy-handed approach to securing unrealistically low prices for visiting Iranian pilgrims at the expense of local Iraqi businessmen. ¶3. (C) With four hundred hotels (two/three-star equivalent), each Iranian pilgrim pays 20 USD daily for meals and lodging, an exorbitantly low fee that leaves Iraqi hoteliers with just 5 USD in profit per pilgrim, Amal al-Din noted. Such heavy-handed tactics have prompted provincial officials in Karbala to consider a boycott of Iranian pilgrims, Amal al-Din said. The boycott proposal is pending the approval of the city's hotel owners' association. The governor pointed out that Iranian officials complain about the lack of adequate services and amenities, but are unwilling to pay the price for improved services, leaving Iraqi businesses in a quandary. (NOTE: A boycott of Iranian pilgrims is unrealistic and unlikely given the political and economic ramifications. Ironically, Iranian officials are threatening to reduce the number of Iranian pilgrims, citing the lack of adequate services and amenities in Iraq. See ref A for more details. END NOTE.) ¶4. (C) While Karbala receives an average of 15,000 Iranian pilgrims monthly, the governor complained that with few tourism sites other than the city's two holy shrines, most pilgrims stay only 3-4 days. Efforts by a UAE-owned company to construct a multi-billion dollar "New Karbala" development project on the outskirts of the city have stalled, pending GOI approval of the project. "The Iranians (government) spend most of their money on maintaining the shrines and very little on other things," Amal al-Din lamented. ¶5. (C) With control of all Iranian pilgrim travel in the hands (and pockets) of one Iranian-based company (see ref B), local Iraqi businesses have yet to reap the benefits of the lucrative religious tourism industry. That said, the governor was lukewarm on the idea of breaking the monopoly by allowing competition among various local travel agencies, as Qallowing competition among various local travel agencies, as is done in Turkey and other countries in the region. Picking the Right People -------------- ¶6. (C) PRT and Emboffs met separately with Kadhum Nour Al-Safi, a soft-spoken local engineer and brother of Shaykh Ahmad Nour Al-Safi (see ref C),imam of the al-Abbas shrine and one of Grand Ayatollah Sistani's two representatives in Karbala (the second is Shaykh Karbala'i, imam of the al-Husayn shrine). Unlike his more prominent sibling, Kadhum is a mechanical engineer specializing in water issues who periodically agrees to meet with USG officials. (NOTE: Sistani and his representatives refuse to meet with USG officials for religious and political reasons. END NOTE.) ¶7. (C) Kadhum echoed the governor's concerns about a domineering Iran, stating that the GOI has been ineffective BAGHDAD 00002426 002 OF 002 in protecting its own interests against Iran, citing water rights and usage as one main example. "We never appoint the right person with the right qualifications for negotiations with Iran," he asserted. This shortcoming is a glaring weakness that is easily exploited by Iran and Iraq's other aggressive neighbors, Kadhum said. He encouraged greater GOI effort to address Iraq's water problems with neighboring states who refuse to compromise. "It's time for less talk and more action," Kadhum asserted. Lucrative Market for Iranian Companies -------------- ¶8. (C) Karbala is seen by Iranian companies as a potentially lucrative market for products and services outside of the tourism sector. Representatives of the Iran and Iraq Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines (www.ir-iqcc.com) recently paid a call on the Karbala Chamber of Commerce (CoC) to discuss trade and investment opportunities. The President of the CoC Nabeel Salman Al-Anbaree (please protect) told Karbala PRT Business Advisor that nine Iranian businessmen paid a call on him to discuss areas of potential cooperation between the Karbala CoC and the Iran-Iraq CoC. They proposed leasing a building down the street from the Karbala CoC building for ten years to house about 50 Iranian companies interested in doing business in Karbala. The group said a number of Iranian businesses are looking for Iraqi dealers for their products and raised the possibility of holding a trade show in the near future. Finally, the group expressed an interest in working with the Provincial Investment Commission (PIC) to invest in a five star hotel and a housing complex. ¶9. (SBU) The group provided copies of &Trade Book of Karbala,8 published in Iran by Trade Karbala (www.tradekarbala.com),in conjunction with the Iran-Iraq CoC. The book, in English and Arabic, includes a listing of 287 Iranian companies offering a variety of products and services across all sectors. The book provides a list of large projects recently executed by Iranian companies throughout the Middle East as well as a few pages of trade statistics, which while slightly dated, generally track with what we have seen in other open-source reporting. ¶10. (SBU) The representatives of the Iran-Iraq CoC that paid a call on the Karbala CoC included the following persons: --Dr. Hassan Tizmaghz, Head of Iraq-Iraq CoC --Sayed Ahmad Khadem Al-Sharieh, Executive Member and Secretary General, Chairman of Trade and Tourism Commission, Iran-Iraq CoC --Najem Beit Chanaan, Chief of the Khorramshahr Chamber of Commerce, Vice-President of Iran-Iraq CoC --Ali Asghar Farschi, Director General for Europe, America, Africa and Arabian Countries, Iran-Iraq CoC --Abdolreza Mizban, Board Member, Member of Trade and Tourism Commission, Iraq-Iraq CoC --Seyed Morttada Shahrestani, Board Member, Member of Insurance and Investment Commission, Iran-Iraq CoC FORD