PRINCE FAISAL BIN KHALID DISCUSSES REGIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 001034

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/ARP (HARRIS),NEA/IR, NEA/MAG, NEA/PPD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2010
TAGS: ECON KPAO EINV PREL SCUL SMIG SOCI SA
SUBJECT: PRINCE FAISAL BIN KHALID DISCUSSES REGIONAL
ISSUES, JURASH DIG, AND ASIR ECONOMY

REF: A. JEDDAH 228

B. RIYADH 1021

Classified By: CDA Ambassador Richard Erdman, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) HRH Prince Faisal bin Khalid, Governor of Asir
province, acknowledged security concerns about Iran, Libya,
and neighboring Yemen related to his province in a meeting
with Charge Ambassador Erdman in the Governor's Abha office
August 1. He agreed to provide additional security forces
for visiting Jurash Dig archaeologists to facilitate an
expanded survey of the Asir province. The Governor expressed
his hope that Post would hold another U.S. Commerce and
Culture Festival in Asir province. End summary.

REGIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS AND U.S. POLICY
--------------


2. (C) When asked about neighboring Yemen, 200 kilometers
from Abha, the Governor said the province has "a lot of
concerns" about the unstable country. Asir deports many
Yemeni illegal immigrants, he said, but they return and
sometimes stay in Asir province. He acknowledged common
concerns regarding an unstable, nuclear Iran, and he said
that Libya's interference in the region "affects us a lot."
When asked about the Al-Houthi tribe of Shi'a in northern
Yemen, the Governor claimed the group receives significant
support from both Iran and Libya (ref A),but offered no
details. Asked about a Saudi foreign policy expert's recent
claim to the Charge that eighty percent of Saudis support
Iran because of its stance towards Israel, the Governor
responded wryly, "Not anymore." He said the Kingdom has a
good impression of President Obama, praised the President's
Cairo speech, and hoped the Obama administration would change
old policies towards the Middle East.

JURASH ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG
--------------


3. (SBU) Charge briefed on his visit to the Jurash
archaeological dig and thanked the Governor for his support
of the project (ref B),and the Governor said he would
welcome a brief from the Jurash team upon completion of this
season's dig. In response to request conveyed by Charge on
behalf of the U.S. archaeologist leading the dig, the
Governor readily agreed to provide necessary security for the
archaeologists doing a survey in outlying areas of Asir
Province, well beyond Jurash itself. His office, he
promised, would "arrange everything."

ASIR ECONOMY AND COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES
--------------


4. (SBU) When asked about his province's economy, the
Governor said the agricultural sector had suffered from water
shortages, particularly during the summer of 2008. He
lamented that most graduates move to Riyadh and Jeddah after
university due to limited work opportunities in Asir. Charge
thanked the Governor for his support of the 2007 U.S.
Commerce and Culture Festival, which was organized in
conjunction with the Abha Chamber of Commerce, and the
Governor expressed his hope that Post would organize another
event in Asir.
ERDMAN