Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09JEDDAH29
2009-01-23 15:51:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Jeddah
Cable title:  

MORE UNCERTAINTY ABOUT JEDDAH ECONOMIC FORUM

Tags:  ECON PGOV KWBG SOCI SA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO3780
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV
DE RUEHJI #0029 0231551
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 231551Z JAN 09
FM AMCONSUL JEDDAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1123
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 8210
C O N F I D E N T I A L JEDDAH 000029 

SIPDIS

RIYADH PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP AND
NEA/IPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2014
TAGS: ECON PGOV KWBG SOCI SA
SUBJECT: MORE UNCERTAINTY ABOUT JEDDAH ECONOMIC FORUM

REF: A. A) JEDDAH 0013

B. B) JEDDAH 0020

Classified By: CG Martin R. Quinn for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L JEDDAH 000029

SIPDIS

RIYADH PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP AND
NEA/IPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2014
TAGS: ECON PGOV KWBG SOCI SA
SUBJECT: MORE UNCERTAINTY ABOUT JEDDAH ECONOMIC FORUM

REF: A. A) JEDDAH 0013

B. B) JEDDAH 0020

Classified By: CG Martin R. Quinn for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. A Saudi businessman/intellectual claims that
losses at last year's Jeddah Economic Forum (JEF) totalling 7
million dollars constitute the primary reason for JEF's
cancellation. Other reasons include management and
organizational problems, making it uncertain that the JEF
will be rescheduled later this spring as some sources have
indicated. End summary.


2. (C) Waleed Al Banawa, US-educated businessman and
intellectual, chairman of the Next Generation Conference,
recently held in Jordan, and well-connected to members of the
Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) and planners
of the Jeddah Economic Forum (JEF),believes that the Forum's
cancellation is due primarily to losses totalling some 7
million dollars at last year's JEF. He cited the fact that
the licensing authority for the conference had moved to
Riyadh as well as official SAG reluctance to host the event
due to "social concerns." An awkward feature of last year's
JEF, from the conservative Islamic point of view, included
"observed commingling of the sexes" (Ref B). Banawa went on
to critique the purpose and outcome of JEF, specifically
pointing out that bringing celebrity speakers like Gorbachev
made little sense. Banawa slammed the JEF organization as
"directionless" and "a waste of money," raising concern over
speakers and the mission to the organizers. (Another Saudi
contact reported that the JEF planners, flailing about, had
even considered inviting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.)
Doubts were also expressed about the wisdom of holding the
conference in the midst of the global economic crisis.
Banawa did not see the situation in Gaza as a precipitating
reason and did not expect that the event would be rescheduled
this year, but would remain, in effect, cancelled for 2009.


3. (C) On January 20 a previous director of JEF informed
Poloff that JEF has been suffering from major management
problems and was simply unprepared for the scope and scale of
the much larger 10th anniversary event. He claimed that some
of the other speculative reasons for cancellation are true,
but that management issues are paramount. He said the forum
was losing significant money, but that the powerful public
image that the conference created for Saudi Arabia is well
worth these losses. He did not expect the conference to be
rescheduled this spring, but thought it might return next
year, in 2010, in a wholly revised format.


4. (C) Comment: Although Gaza may have provided a convenient
pretext for JEF organizers to cancel or postpone the February
event (while citing "delay in getting official permission"),
other factors now seem more prominent. The future of the
Jeddah Economic Forum remains uncertain. End comment.
QUINN