ROYAL EXTENSIONS OF GOVERNORSHIPS - PRESERVING THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 001112 SIPDIS PASS TO NEA/ARP JHARRIS AND JBRANDT E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/24/2019 TAGS: PGOV SA SOCI SUBJECT: ROYAL EXTENSIONS OF GOVERNORSHIPS - PRESERVING THE PEACE REF: A. RIYAH 393 ¶B. 08 RIYADH 1757 ¶C. 09 RIYADH 1748 RIYADH 00001112 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: CDA Ambassador Richard W. Erdman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) SUMMARY: -------------- ¶1. (C) On August 23, King Abdullah issued royal decrees extending the terms of HRH Mishal bin Majed bin Abdelaziz as Governor of Jeddah City, and of Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Abdelkadir as Deputy Minister of Civil Services. These appointments are in keeping with the King's general tendency to extend leaders in key positions and reserve governmental shake-ups for exceptional situations. By preserving family harmony and stability, the King aims to create the political space for implementation of his reform agenda. End summary. ROYAL DECREES EXTEND TERMS -------------- ¶2. (U) On August 23, Saudi King Abdullah issued two royal decrees, the first extending the term of service of Prince Mishal bin Majed as Governor of Jeddah, a Minister-level position, by four years; the second extending the tenure of Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Abdelkadir as Deputy Minister of Civil Services, an "Excellency"-level position, also by four years. The extensions are effective immediately. BIOGRAPHIC DETAILS -------------- ¶3. (U) Prince Mishal bin Majed was born in Jeddah in 1957. He is a graduate of King Saud University, and the eldest son of Prince Majed bin Abdulaziz. He is a member of the Allegiance Council (Reftel B),head of the Jeddah Governorate Council and President of the Executive Council for Tourism in Jeddah. He has served as Governor of Jeddah since 2007. He speaks fluent English. ¶4. (U) Deputy Minister of Civil Services Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Abdelkadir has been with the Civil Service since 1976. He joined the Ministry after working for a petroleum company from 1968 to 1975. He is a U.S.-educated Sunni hailing from Al-Mubarrat in the Eastern Province. ADHERENCE TO TRADITIONS WINS SUPPORT -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Comments in several Arabic language dailies praising Prince Mishal's leadership and business skills have appeared in recent weeks, paving the way for public acceptance of his extension. Daily Okaz praised the Prince's efforts to create an "integrated form of government" in the governorate, as well as his success in working with the private sector to promote tourism and investment, while keeping true to Saudi traditions and heritage and staying away from "vulgarity." The August 24 article announcing the royal decrees also praised Prince Mishal for being "family-minded," and creating the appropriate atmosphere for families to vacation in Jeddah, rather than outside of the kingdom. GOVERNORS AND MAYORS ON ABDULLAH'S SIDE -------------- ¶6. (U) Saudi Arabia's sub-national government consists of 13 governorates, each headed by a royally-appointed Governor: Al Baha, Al Hudud Al-Shamaliya, Al-Jawf, Al-Madinah, Al-Qassaim, Al-Riyadh, Al-Sharqiyah (Eastern Province),Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran and Tabouk. In addition, four other Governor positions and one Mayoral position exist, coverning the regions of Al-Kharj, Jeddah, Al-Ihsaa, al-Dar'iya and Riyadh (Mayor). All Governors and the Mayor report to the Minister of the Interior and Second Deputy Prime Minister, 75-year old HRH Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. ¶7. (U) The majority of the incumbents in these positions have seen their terms extended recently. In February, King Abdullah issued royal decrees extending the terms of six of the 13 provincial governors: HRH Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud in Riyadh province; HRH Prince Mohammed bin Fahd bin RIYADH 00001112 002.2 OF 002 Abdulaziz al-Saud in the Al-Shariyah; HRH Prince Fahd bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud in Tabouk province; HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz in Qassaim; HRH Mohammed bin Saud bin Abdulaziz al-Saud in Al-Baha; and HH Abdallah bin Abdulaziz bin Mousaed bin Jiluwi in Al-Shamaliya. A seventh incumbent, HRH Prince Mohammed bin Nasir bin Abdulaziz was extended as Governor of Jizan in January of this year. ¶8. (C) Relatively new governors named by King Abdullah include HRH Prince Mishal bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz (formerly in the Foreign Ministry),appointed Governor of Najran in March 2009; HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Majid as Governor of Al Madinah; appointed in 2008; and HRH Faisal Ibn Khalid as Governor of Asir and HRH Prince Khaled Al-Faisal in Makkah, both appointed in 2007. Of these, only Prince Mishal bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz represents a new generation of leadership, and there are indications his appointment was, in part, a response to his predecessor's poor performance (Reftel C). HRH Prince Fahd bin Badr bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Al-Jawf, and HRH Prince Saud bin Abdul Mohsen as Governor of Ha'il, were appointed in 2001 and 1999, respectively. COMMENT -------------- ¶9. (C) The extensions of these government mandates is no surprise, and their essentially pro-forma renewal reflects King Abdullah's desire to solidify his political power base so that he can focus on pushing through societal reforms (Reftel A). The incumbents, most of whom were born in the 1940s and 50s, belong to long-established lines of authority. As such, they assist in exerting social control over the large portion of the population that is under 25 years old. Okaz's comments praising HRH Prince Mishal for preserving traditional values and culture are notable given that he is Governor of Jeddah, the Kingdom's most liberal city, and send a message that King Abdullah still places a premium on continuity, stability, and control, even as he pursues incremental reforms. End comment. ERDMAN