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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 JEDDAH 000286 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP, 
NEA/IR, PARIS FOR ZEYA; LONDON FOR TSOU 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2015 
TAGS: EAID ECON IR KDEM KISL PGOV PHUM PREL PTER
SA, SOCI, YM 
SUBJECT: THE CG IN SOUTHERN SAUDI ARABIA, PART II - THE 
UNOFFICIAL GOVERNOR OF NEJRAN 
 
REF: JEDDAH 285 
 
Classified By: Consul General Tatiana Gfoeller, for 
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
This is Part II in a two-part series on meetings between the 
Consul General and the Governor of the Nejran province. 
 
¶1. (S)  SUMMARY.  At the conclusion of the formal meeting 
between the Consul General and Nejran Governor Prince Mishael 
bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, CG, Congenoff, and A/RSO were invited 
for drinks with the Governor at his home.  Throughout the 2 
hour-long informal meeting Prince Mishael spoke candidly 
about a host of issues, including his and the SAG,s fears of 
an expansionist Iran, America's relationship with the Arab 
world, Saudi tourism, and his desire to leave Nejran behind. 
The meeting provided an important insight into the Governor's 
feelings about his country, his government, and his work. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
WHEN A STRONG WIND BLOWS... 
 
¶2. (C) The Governor began the informal meeting poolside in 
his vast garden by readdressing a point he made earlier in 
the day about the increasing access to information that 
people in the Middle East have.  "All Saudis do is watch 
television," he proclaimed, "and they know more than ever 
what is happening in the world...they see what happened at 
Abu Ghraib."  According to him, the United States gives 
disillusioned Saudis a reason to raise their voice and to act 
on their anti-American feelings.  He went on to say that he 
believes that the US,s goal in spreading democracy, however 
honorable, will never be achieved because the people of the 
world will merely wait for the US to give up.  "When a strong 
wind blows all people have to do to avoid it is duck and wait 
for it to pass.  I love America, but if you try to change a 
society you will fail because there are some things you will 
never be able to change.  You will never be able to change 
history.  You will never be able to change geography." 
 
UNDERSTANDING SAUDIS 101 
 
¶3. (C) Interestingly, Prince Mishael then brought up the 
subject of the recently failed US-UAE port agreement and was 
quick to opine that America's relationship with Saudi Arabia 
is the most important relationship it has in the Gulf. 
"These other Gulf countries don't have what we have - wealth, 
a border with the Gulf, the Red Sea, Jordan, and Iraq...we 
are a very important partner of the US."  He did add that 
Saudi Arabia needs the US as much as the US needs it and 
maintained that he is one of the key proponents of stronger 
and closer US-Saudi relations within the Saudi royal family. 
 
¶4. (C) The Governor also spoke to the seeming differences 
between what Saudis say to Americans on the record and what 
they say off the record.  Saudis have "four personalities" - 
one for dealing with other Saudis inside Saudi Arabia, one 
for dealing with non-Saudis inside Saudi Arabia, one for 
dealing with Saudis outside Saudi Arabia, and one for dealing 
with non-Saudis outside Saudi Arabia.  Prince Mishael summed 
it up by saying, "There is a 180 degree difference in what a 
Saudi will say to an American and what he will say to another 
Saudi.  Yes, Saudis want openness and want to progress but 
when it comes to changing their own lives, their own homes, 
they won't do it." 
 
¶5. (C) Later in the meeting, the CG brought up the Saudi 
Inter-Ministerial Committee to solicit the Governor's 
thoughts on this new government body created to deal with 
outstanding child custody and exit permission issues.  He 
responded by stating emphatically that it would never work. 
"You Americans must understand Saudis; you must understand 
Arabs.  If you have a committee of Saudis, nothing will get 
done because everyone will want to be in charge; everyone 
will want to take the credit." 
 
IRAN 
 
 
JEDDAH 00000286  002 OF 003 
 
 
¶6.  (S) Prince Mishael spoke candidly about his and the SAG's 
growing concerns about Iran, mentioning the possible Iranian 
nuclear program, aggressive Iranian moves in southern Iraq, 
and Iran's attempts to meddle in Lebanon and Syria.  He said 
Saudi Arabia is vulnerable to Iranian intrigues as well 
(presumably implying that the SAG's Shi'ia citizens, 
including his own Ismailis could be turned against it. 
Reftel.).  He spoke nostalgically of Saddam Hussein, who 
though a "monster," kept Iran at bay.  On this issue, he 
waxed eloquent and passionate, at times aggressively berating 
US foreign policy in Iraq for allegedly having brought about 
a strengthened Iran with expansionist designs throughout the 
Middle East.  When the CG asked bluntly, "Your Royal 
Highness, are you saying that Iran is trying to create a 
'Shi'ia Crescent' from Iran through Syria and Lebanon to the 
Mediterranean Sea?" he answered tersely, "Yes."  The CG 
actively defended USG policy in Iraq and then asked the 
Governor what he personally would suggest as an effective USG 
policy vis-a-vis Iran.  He answered immediately, "Iran is 
unfortunately too big and strong to attack militarily.  You 
should destabilize them from within.  Foment a revolution 
inside and get the Iranian people to install a government in 
Tehran friendly to yourselves and to us." 
 
SAUDIS DON'T WANT TO VACATION IN THE KINGDOM 
 
¶7. (C) Moving on to the subject of tourism, the Governor said 
that Prince Sultan bin Salman, head of the Saudi Supreme 
Commission for Tourism, was overly optimistic about his plans 
to open up the Kingdom to vacation-goers.  He agreed that 
some people from other Gulf countries would want to come to 
Saudi Arabia to explore its rich geography and historical 
sites, but insisted that "upper class Saudis don't want to 
vacation where their wives have to be covered, where they 
can't have an (alcoholic) drink; where they can't do what 
they want."  Prince Mishael conceded that there are different 
degrees of conservativeness in the Kingdom and that several 
local tourist destinations would appeal to some Saudis.  "You 
can do things in Jeddah that you can't do in Qassim, for 
example."  He quickly added, however, that it is "crazy" that 
women aren't allowed to drive in the Kingdom and cited this 
law as one of the reasons why most Saudi families will not 
want to vacation in Saudi Arabia.  "They will want to go (on 
holiday) someplace where they can do things that they cannot 
do here." 
 
IT'S LONELY AT THE TOP 
 
¶8. (C) The Governor has been in his position for over ten 
years.  He claims that he was originally slated to serve for 
only one term of four years.   Prince Mishael is now on his 
third term in office and says that Nejran was "nothing" until 
he came in and changed it for the better.  He admitted, 
however, that he is now ready to resign as Governor.  While 
he firmly believes in the one-term Governorship, it is not 
eminently clear if the length of his tenure as Governor of 
Nejran has, to date, been his choice.  He alluded to the fact 
that the King will not permit him to leave his post at the 
present time.  When Congenoff played to the Governor's ego by 
saying, "You've made some significant contributions and have 
made real progress for Nejran. It is obvious why they want 
you to stay on as Governor," Prince Mishael replied, "Yes, 
this is true." 
 
¶9. (C) This informal meeting with the Governor revealed that 
he feels lonely in his fortress-like house at the top of a 
mountain in Nejran.  His wife and children reside in Riyadh 
and he does not get to see them as often as he would like. 
He also confessed that he tries to leave the Nejran region as 
often as possible, opting to spend time in Riyadh or abroad 
when he can.  "Eight days in Nejran feels like eight years," 
he grumbled.  While he is a self-proclaimed "man of the 
middle-class" the Governor has no friends in the region with 
whom he spends time on a regular basis.  Prince Mishael 
stressed that he works long hours and has many official 
engagements in the evenings, a routine with which he is 
bored.  He would much rather go to events where people do not 
"bow down" to him.  While he certainly entertains at his home 
 
JEDDAH 00000286  003 OF 003 
 
 
on occasion, Prince Mishael alluded to spending many cold 
winter evenings at his home alone by the fire with a glass of 
wine.  "There is nothing to do in Nejran."  It is not 
surprising, then, that the Governor seemed genuinely pleased 
to have the CG at his home, evidenced by his chatty demeanor. 
 
BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION 
 
¶10. (C) Prince Mishael is a gregarious man who has a history 
of speaking candidly with American officials, particularly 
when his ego is stroked.  He has a keen sense of humor and 
prefers to speak in metaphorical terms.  He was one of Saudi 
Arabia's "Free Princes" and wishes to be viewed as a "regular 
guy."  Prince Mishael drinks alcohol and has an affinity for 
dry red wine.  He admitted to CG that some of his best and 
most trusted friends are British and American Jews.  His 
hobbies include gardening.  He is the son of King Saud and 
grandson of King Abdul Aziz, Saudi Arabia's founder. 
Gfoeller