SAUDI ARABIA: NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASSISTANCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 001127 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR P AND NEA/PPD PEN AGNEW; FBI HEADQUARTERS FOR CYBERDIVISION E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2019 TAGS: KPAO PGOV PREL PTER SA SUBJECT: SAUDI ARABIA: NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASSISTANCE WITH NAIF ARAB UNIVERSITY REF: A. RIYADH 732 ¶B. RIYADH 984 RIYADH 00001127 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: CDA Ambassador Richard W. Erdman for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) In an August 15 meeting with EmbOffs, Director of Naif Arab University for Security Sciences' (NAUSS) International Cooperation Department, Dr. Saker Al-Mokayyad, requested U.S. government assistance in organizing a cyber security workshop and a Voluntary Visitor (VOLVIS) program for a 15-member delegation from the Saudi Ministry of Justice to study trafficking in persons issues in the United States. NAUSS' interest in cyber security assistance reflects the high priority the Saudi Ministry of the Interior (MOI) places on this subject. The MOI separately requested US assistance with a new cyber security program in May of this year (Reftel A). Embassy views NAUSS as an ideal launching ground for a wide range of legal assistance programs and recommends support for these efforts. End summary. REQUEST FOR COOPERATION -------------- ¶2. (C) EmbOffs met with Dr. Saker Al-Mokayyad, Director of the International Cooperation Department at NAUSS, on August 5 and August 15 to resume previously begun discussions of cooperation and Law Enforcement Assistance programs. In the meetings, Dr. Saker reiterated NAUSS's desire and readiness for increased cooperation with the US government, and "particularly with the new administration." Dr. Saker made two specific requests. First, for help in bringing a visiting U.S. cyber security specialist to train Saudi investigators during a two-day seminar scheduled for October, and second for assistance in arranging a VOLVIS program that would allow a 15-member delegation from the Ministry of Justice to visit the U.S. to study trafficking in person (TIP) issues. (NOTE: The Saudi delegation would need at least a 25-day lead time prior to a VOLVIS program, and relevant visa issues would need to be taken into account. END NOTE.) Embassy Riyadh strongly supports these requests. BACKGROUND ON NAUSS -------------- ¶3. (U) NAUSS is an intergovernmental, academic institution that conducts research and training on security issues. �00A;Established by the Arab League in 1982 to strengthen collective security, NAUSS offers graduate and post-graduate Degrees, non-degree programs, and training and research opportunities in all fields related to strategic and security studies and law enforcement. The University is comprised of the College of Graduate Studies (Strategic Studies and Criminal Justice),the Training College, the College of Forensic Sciences, the College of Language Studies, and the Research Center for Computer and Information Technology. It operates under the aegis of the Council of Arab Ministers of Interior, and serves various law enforcement agencies. HRH Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, is the President of NAUSS' Supreme Council and also the university's powerful patron. ¶4. (U) NAUSS recruits its students and course participants from the Arab League countries, from government agencies, and from international and regional organizations. The 4000-strong student body is 100 percent male, although NAUSS does offer some special training courses for women. NAUSS hosts a wide range of workshops and symposia on issues of great interest to the United States, including cyber security, counter-terrorism, arms control, narcotics trafficking, human rights, and trafficking in persons, attracting lecturers and experts in their respective fields from Europe, the U.S., Asia, and Africa, in addition to the Arab countries and the United Nations. NAUSS is a member of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice RIYADH 00001127 002 OF 002 Program network. HUMAN TRAFFICKING VOLVIS PROGRAM -------------- ¶5. (C) Dr. Saker's request for a five-day VOLVIS program for a Ministry of Justice delegation reflects positively on the SAG's efforts to combat trafficking in persons. A new anti-trafficking law was recently passed in Saudi Arabia (Reftel B). Dr. Saker told PolOffs during an August 5 meeting that NAUSS was "very active" in the field of anti-trafficking. NAUSS hosted a conference on TIP in 2008, and had recently released a joint publication with Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, entitled "Combating Trafficking in Persons in Accordance with the Principles of Islamic Law." This is a positive beginning, yet when asked about the distribution of the publication, Dr. Saker did not seem quite sure who the target audience was, or how widely this informative publication would be distributed. ¶6. (U) Additional studies on Human Trafficking are being conducted at NAUSS. Dr. Saker discussed a recently completed academic field study by Khaled Selim, a PhD student at NAUSS, which revealed that some areas of the Hejaz region, including Jeddah, are hotbeds for child trafficking. The study also indicated that a criminal organization was behind the smuggling and trafficking of children from Nigeria to the Kingdom. The study included a list of valuable recommendations regarding social and legal mechanisms to combat human trafficking. COMMENT: OPPORTUNITIES FOR COOPERATION ABOUND -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Although backed by the powerful Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Prince Naif, NAUSS is technically not a Saudi government institution. Working directly with NAUSS provides an opportunity to access many Saudi government officials and ministries through a slightly less bureaucratic channel, as well as build relationships with government officials attending NAUSS from the rest of the Arab world. NAUSS's willingness to fund USG training and assistance programs is an opportunity that should be maximized. Currently, Post is moving forward with USG inter-agency efforts to provide a cyber security specialist for the 2-day NAUSS seminar in October, and to develop a VOLVIS program on human trafficking for Saudi Ministry of Justice officials with DHS and other Departments. ERDMAN