Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 251287 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AEMR ASEC AMGT AE AS AMED AVIAN AU AF AORC AGENDA AO AR AM APER AFIN ATRN AJ ABUD ARABL AL AG AODE ALOW ADANA AADP AND APECO ACABQ ASEAN AA AFFAIRS AID AGR AY AGS AFSI AGOA AMB ARF ANET ASCH ACOA AFLU AFSN AMEX AFDB ABLD AESC AFGHANISTAN AINF AVIATION ARR ARSO ANDREW ASSEMBLY AIDS APRC ASSK ADCO ASIG AC AZ APEC AFINM ADB AP ACOTA ASEX ACKM ASUP ANTITERRORISM ADPM AINR ARABLEAGUE AGAO AORG AMTC AIN ACCOUNT ASECAFINGMGRIZOREPTU AIDAC AINT ARCH AMGTKSUP ALAMI AMCHAMS ALJAZEERA AVIANFLU AORD AOREC ALIREZA AOMS AMGMT ABDALLAH AORCAE AHMED ACCELERATED AUC ALZUGUREN ANGEL AORL ASECIR AMG AMBASSADOR AEMRASECCASCKFLOMARRPRELPINRAMGTJMXL ADM ASES ABMC AER AMER ASE AMGTHA ARNOLDFREDERICK AOPC ACS AFL AEGR ASED AFPREL AGRI AMCHAM ARNOLD AN ANATO AME APERTH ASECSI AT ACDA ASEDC AIT AMERICA AMLB AMGE ACTION AGMT AFINIZ ASECVE ADRC ABER AGIT APCS AEMED ARABBL ARC ASO AIAG ACEC ASR ASECM ARG AEC ABT ADIP ADCP ANARCHISTS AORCUN AOWC ASJA AALC AX AROC ARM AGENCIES ALBE AK AZE AOPR AREP AMIA ASCE ALANAZI ABDULRAHMEN ABDULHADI AINFCY ARMS ASECEFINKCRMKPAOPTERKHLSAEMRNS AGRICULTURE AFPK AOCR ALEXANDER ATRD ATFN ABLG AORCD AFGHAN ARAS AORCYM AVERY ALVAREZ ACBAQ ALOWAR ANTOINE ABLDG ALAB AMERICAS AFAF ASECAFIN ASEK ASCC AMCT AMGTATK AMT APDC AEMRS ASECE AFSA ATRA ARTICLE ARENA AISG AEMRBC AFR AEIR ASECAF AFARI AMPR ASPA ASOC ANTONIO AORCL ASECARP APRM AUSTRALIAGROUP ASEG AFOR AEAID AMEDI ASECTH ASIC AFDIN AGUIRRE AUNR ASFC AOIC ANTXON ASA ASECCASC ALI AORCEUNPREFPRELSMIGBN ASECKHLS ASSSEMBLY ASECVZ AI ASECPGOV ASIR ASCEC ASAC ARAB AIEA ADMIRAL AUSGR AQ AMTG ARRMZY ANC APR AMAT AIHRC AFU ADEL AECL ACAO AMEMR ADEP AV AW AOR ALL ALOUNI AORCUNGA ALNEA ASC AORCO ARMITAGE AGENGA AGRIC AEM ACOAAMGT AGUILAR AFPHUM AMEDCASCKFLO AFZAL AAA ATPDEA ASECPHUM ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
ETRD ETTC EU ECON EFIN EAGR EAID ELAB EINV ENIV ENRG EPET EZ ELTN ELECTIONS ECPS ET ER EG EUN EIND ECONOMICS EMIN ECIN EINT EWWT EAIR EN ENGR ES EI ETMIN EL EPA EARG EFIS ECONOMY EC EK ELAM ECONOMIC EAR ESDP ECCP ELN EUM EUMEM ECA EAP ELEC ECOWAS EFTA EXIM ETTD EDRC ECOSOC ECPSN ENVIRONMENT ECO EMAIL ECTRD EREL EDU ENERG ENERGY ENVR ETRAD EAC EXTERNAL EFIC ECIP ERTD EUC ENRGMO EINZ ESTH ECCT EAGER ECPN ELNT ERD EGEN ETRN EIVN ETDR EXEC EIAD EIAR EVN EPRT ETTF ENGY EAIDCIN EXPORT ETRC ESA EIB EAPC EPIT ESOCI ETRB EINDQTRD ENRC EGOV ECLAC EUR ELF ETEL ENRGUA EVIN EARI ESCAP EID ERIN ELAN ENVT EDEV EWWY EXBS ECOM EV ELNTECON ECE ETRDGK EPETEIND ESCI ETRDAORC EAIDETRD ETTR EMS EAGRECONEINVPGOVBN EBRD EUREM ERGR EAGRBN EAUD EFI ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EPEC ETRO ENRGY EGAR ESSO EGAD ENV ENER EAIDXMXAXBXFFR ELA EET EINVETRD EETC EIDN ERGY ETRDPGOV EING EMINCG EINVECON EURM EEC EICN EINO EPSC ELAP ELABPGOVBN EE ESPS ETRA ECONETRDBESPAR ERICKSON EEOC EVENTS EPIN EB ECUN EPWR ENG EX EH EAIDAR EAIS ELBA EPETUN ETRDEIQ EENV ECPC ETRP ECONENRG EUEAID EWT EEB EAIDNI ESENV EADM ECN ENRGKNNP ETAD ETR ECONETRDEAGRJA ETRG ETER EDUC EITC EBUD EAIF EBEXP EAIDS EITI EGOVSY EFQ ECOQKPKO ETRGY ESF EUE EAIC EPGOV ENFR EAGRE ENRD EINTECPS EAVI ETC ETCC EIAID EAIDAF EAGREAIDPGOVPRELBN EAOD ETRDA EURN EASS EINVA EAIDRW EON ECOR EPREL EGPHUM ELTM ECOS EINN ENNP EUPGOV EAGRTR ECONCS ETIO ETRDGR EAIDB EISNAR EIFN ESPINOSA EAIDASEC ELIN EWTR EMED ETFN ETT EADI EPTER ELDIN EINVEFIN ESS ENRGIZ EQRD ESOC ETRDECD ECINECONCS EAIT ECONEAIR ECONEFIN EUNJ ENRGKNNPMNUCPARMPRELNPTIAEAJMXL ELAD EFIM ETIC EFND EFN ETLN ENGRD EWRG ETA EIN EAIRECONRP EXIMOPIC ERA ENRGJM ECONEGE ENVI ECHEVARRIA EMINETRD EAD ECONIZ EENG ELBR EWWC ELTD EAIDMG ETRK EIPR EISNLN ETEX EPTED EFINECONCS EPCS EAG ETRDKIPR ED EAIO ETRDEC ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID ECONEINVEFINPGOVIZ ERNG EFINU EURFOR EWWI ELTNSNAR ETD EAIRASECCASCID EOXC ESTN EAIDAORC EAGRRP ETRDEMIN ELABPHUMSMIGKCRMBN ETRDEINVTINTCS EGHG EAIDPHUMPRELUG EAGRBTIOBEXPETRDBN EDA EPETPGOV ELAINE EUCOM EMW EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM ELB EINDETRD EMI ETRDECONWTOCS EINR ESTRADA EHUM EFNI ELABV ENR EMN EXO EWWTPRELPGOVMASSMARRBN EATO END EP EINVETC ECONEFINETRDPGOVEAGRPTERKTFNKCRMEAID ELTRN EIQ ETTW EAI ENGRG ETRED ENDURING ETTRD EAIDEGZ EOCN EINF EUPREL ENRL ECPO ENLT EEFIN EPPD ECOIN EUEAGR EISL EIDE ENRGSD EINVECONSENVCSJA EAIG ENTG EEPET EUNCH EPECO ETZ EPAT EPTE EAIRGM ETRDPREL EUNGRSISAFPKSYLESO ETTN EINVKSCA ESLCO EBMGT ENRGTRGYETRDBEXPBTIOSZ EFLU ELND EFINOECD EAIDHO EDUARDO ENEG ECONEINVETRDEFINELABETRDKTDBPGOVOPIC EFINTS ECONQH ENRGPREL EUNPHUM EINDIR EPE EMINECINECONSENVTBIONS EFINM ECRM EQ EWWTSP ECONPGOVBN
KFLO KPKO KDEM KFLU KTEX KMDR KPAO KCRM KIDE KN KNNP KG KMCA KZ KJUS KWBG KU KDMR KAWC KCOR KPAL KOMC KTDB KTIA KISL KHIV KHUM KTER KCFE KTFN KS KIRF KTIP KIRC KSCA KICA KIPR KPWR KWMN KE KGIC KGIT KSTC KACT KSEP KFRD KUNR KHLS KCRS KRVC KUWAIT KVPR KSRE KMPI KMRS KNRV KNEI KCIP KSEO KITA KDRG KV KSUM KCUL KPET KBCT KO KSEC KOLY KNAR KGHG KSAF KWNM KNUC KMNP KVIR KPOL KOCI KPIR KLIG KSAC KSTH KNPT KINL KPRP KRIM KICC KIFR KPRV KAWK KFIN KT KVRC KR KHDP KGOV KPOW KTBT KPMI KPOA KRIF KEDEM KFSC KY KGCC KATRINA KWAC KSPR KTBD KBIO KSCI KRCM KNNB KBNC KIMT KCSY KINR KRAD KMFO KCORR KW KDEMSOCI KNEP KFPC KEMPI KBTR KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNPP KTTB KTFIN KBTS KCOM KFTN KMOC KOR KDP KPOP KGHA KSLG KMCR KJUST KUM KMSG KHPD KREC KIPRTRD KPREL KEN KCSA KCRIM KGLB KAKA KWWT KUNP KCRN KISLPINR KLFU KUNC KEDU KCMA KREF KPAS KRKO KNNC KLHS KWAK KOC KAPO KTDD KOGL KLAP KECF KCRCM KNDP KSEAO KCIS KISM KREL KISR KISC KKPO KWCR KPFO KUS KX KWCI KRFD KWPG KTRD KH KLSO KEVIN KEANE KACW KWRF KNAO KETTC KTAO KWIR KVCORR KDEMGT KPLS KICT KWGB KIDS KSCS KIRP KSTCPL KDEN KLAB KFLOA KIND KMIG KPPAO KPRO KLEG KGKG KCUM KTTP KWPA KIIP KPEO KICR KNNA KMGT KCROM KMCC KLPM KNNPGM KSIA KSI KWWW KOMS KESS KMCAJO KWN KTDM KDCM KCM KVPRKHLS KENV KCCP KGCN KCEM KEMR KWMNKDEM KNNPPARM KDRM KWIM KJRE KAID KWMM KPAONZ KUAE KTFR KIF KNAP KPSC KSOCI KCWI KAUST KPIN KCHG KLBO KIRCOEXC KI KIRCHOFF KSTT KNPR KDRL KCFC KLTN KPAOKMDRKE KPALAOIS KESO KKOR KSMT KFTFN KTFM KDEMK KPKP KOCM KNN KISLSCUL KFRDSOCIRO KINT KRG KWMNSMIG KSTCC KPAOY KFOR KWPR KSEPCVIS KGIV KSEI KIL KWMNPHUMPRELKPAOZW KQ KEMS KHSL KTNF KPDD KANSOU KKIV KFCE KTTC KGH KNNNP KK KSCT KWNN KAWX KOMCSG KEIM KTSD KFIU KDTB KFGM KACP KWWMN KWAWC KSPA KGICKS KNUP KNNO KISLAO KTPN KSTS KPRM KPALPREL KPO KTLA KCRP KNMP KAWCK KCERS KDUM KEDM KTIALG KWUN KPTS KPEM KMEPI KAWL KHMN KCRO KCMR KPTD KCROR KMPT KTRF KSKN KMAC KUK KIRL KEM KSOC KBTC KOM KINP KDEMAF KTNBT KISK KRM KWBW KBWG KNNPMNUC KNOP KSUP KCOG KNET KWBC KESP KMRD KEBG KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KPWG KOMCCO KRGY KNNF KPROG KJAN KFRED KPOKO KM KWMNCS KMPF KJWC KJU KSMIG KALR KRAL KDGOV KPA KCRMJA KCRI KAYLA KPGOV KRD KNNPCH KFEM KPRD KFAM KALM KIPRETRDKCRM KMPP KADM KRFR KMWN KWRG KTIAPARM KTIAEUN KRDP KLIP KDDEM KTIAIC KWKN KPAD KDM KRCS KWBGSY KEAI KIVP KPAOPREL KUNH KTSC KIPT KNP KJUSTH KGOR KEPREL KHSA KGHGHIV KNNR KOMH KRCIM KWPB KWIC KINF KPER KILS KA KNRG KCSI KFRP KLFLO KFE KNPPIS KQM KQRDQ KERG KPAOPHUM KSUMPHUM KVBL KARIM KOSOVO KNSD KUIR KWHG KWBGXF KWMNU KPBT KKNP KERF KCRT KVIS KWRC KVIP KTFS KMARR KDGR KPAI KDE KTCRE KMPIO KUNRAORC KHOURY KAWS KPAK KOEM KCGC KID KVRP KCPS KIVR KBDS KWOMN KIIC KTFNJA KARZAI KMVP KHJUS KPKOUNSC KMAR KIBL KUNA KSA KIS KJUSAF KDEV KPMO KHIB KIRD KOUYATE KIPRZ KBEM KPAM KDET KPPD KOSCE KJUSKUNR KICCPUR KRMS KWMNPREL KWMJN KREISLER KWM KDHS KRV KPOV KWMNCI KMPL KFLD KWWN KCVM KIMMITT KCASC KOMO KNATO KDDG KHGH KRF KSCAECON KWMEN KRIC
PREL PINR PGOV PHUM PTER PE PREF PARM PBTS PINS PHSA PK PL PM PNAT PHAS PO PROP PGOVE PA PU POLITICAL PPTER POL PALESTINIAN PHUN PIN PAMQ PPA PSEC POLM PBIO PSOE PDEM PAK PF PKAO PGOVPRELMARRMOPS PMIL PV POLITICS PRELS POLICY PRELHA PIRN PINT PGOG PERSONS PRC PEACE PROCESS PRELPGOV PROV PFOV PKK PRE PT PIRF PSI PRL PRELAF PROG PARMP PERL PUNE PREFA PP PGOB PUM PROTECTION PARTIES PRIL PEL PAGE PS PGO PCUL PLUM PIF PGOVENRGCVISMASSEAIDOPRCEWWTBN PMUC PCOR PAS PB PKO PY PKST PTR PRM POUS PRELIZ PGIC PHUMS PAL PNUC PLO PMOPS PHM PGOVBL PBK PELOSI PTE PGOVAU PNR PINSO PRO PLAB PREM PNIR PSOCI PBS PD PHUML PERURENA PKPA PVOV PMAR PHUMCF PUHM PHUH PRELPGOVETTCIRAE PRT PROPERTY PEPFAR PREI POLUN PAR PINSF PREFL PH PREC PPD PING PQL PINSCE PGV PREO PRELUN POV PGOVPHUM PINRES PRES PGOC PINO POTUS PTERE PRELKPAO PRGOV PETR PGOVEAGRKMCAKNARBN PPKO PARLIAMENT PEPR PMIG PTBS PACE PETER PMDL PVIP PKPO POLMIL PTEL PJUS PHUMNI PRELKPAOIZ PGOVPREL POGV PEREZ POWELL PMASS PDOV PARN PG PPOL PGIV PAIGH PBOV PETROL PGPV PGOVL POSTS PSO PRELEU PRELECON PHUMPINS PGOVKCMABN PQM PRELSP PRGO PATTY PRELPGOVEAIDECONEINVBEXPSCULOIIPBTIO PGVO PROTESTS PRELPLS PKFK PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ PARAGRAPH PRELGOV POG PTRD PTERM PBTSAG PHUMKPAL PRELPK PTERPGOV PAO PRIVATIZATION PSCE PPAO PGOVPRELPHUMPREFSMIGELABEAIDKCRMKWMN PARALYMPIC PRUM PKPRP PETERS PAHO PARMS PGREL PINV POINS PHUMPREL POREL PRELNL PHUMPGOV PGOVQL PLAN PRELL PARP PROVE PSOC PDD PRELNP PRELBR PKMN PGKV PUAS PRELTBIOBA PBTSEWWT PTERIS PGOVU PRELGG PHUMPRELPGOV PFOR PEPGOV PRELUNSC PRAM PICES PTERIZ PREK PRELEAGR PRELEUN PHUME PHU PHUMKCRS PRESL PRTER PGOF PARK PGOVSOCI PTERPREL PGOVEAID PGOVPHUMKPAO PINSKISL PREZ PGOVAF PARMEUN PECON PINL POGOV PGOVLO PIERRE PRELPHUM PGOVPZ PGOVKCRM PBST PKPAO PHUMHUPPS PGOVPOL PASS PPGOV PROGV PAGR PHALANAGE PARTY PRELID PGOVID PHUMR PHSAQ PINRAMGT PSA PRELM PRELMU PIA PINRPE PBTSRU PARMIR PEDRO PNUK PVPR PINOCHET PAARM PRFE PRELEIN PINF PCI PSEPC PGOVSU PRLE PDIP PHEM PRELB PORG PGGOC POLG POPDC PGOVPM PWMN PDRG PHUMK PINB PRELAL PRER PFIN PNRG PRED POLI PHUMBO PHYTRP PROLIFERATION PHARM PUOS PRHUM PUNR PENA PGOVREL PETRAEUS PGOVKDEM PGOVENRG PHUS PRESIDENT PTERKU PRELKSUMXABN PGOVSI PHUMQHA PKISL PIR PGOVZI PHUMIZNL PKNP PRELEVU PMIN PHIM PHUMBA PUBLIC PHAM PRELKPKO PMR PARTM PPREL PN PROL PDA PGOVECON PKBL PKEAID PERM PRELEZ PRELC PER PHJM PGOVPRELPINRBN PRFL PLN PWBG PNG PHUMA PGOR PHUMPTER POLINT PPEF PKPAL PNNL PMARR PAC PTIA PKDEM PAUL PREG PTERR PTERPRELPARMPGOVPBTSETTCEAIRELTNTC PRELJA POLS PI PNS PAREL PENV PTEROREP PGOVM PINER PBGT PHSAUNSC PTERDJ PRELEAID PARMIN PKIR PLEC PCRM PNET PARR PRELETRD PRELBN PINRTH PREJ PEACEKEEPINGFORCES PEMEX PRELZ PFLP PBPTS PTGOV PREVAL PRELSW PAUM PRF PHUMKDEM PATRICK PGOVKMCAPHUMBN PRELA PNUM PGGV PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PBT PIND PTEP PTERKS PGOVJM PGOT PRELMARR PGOVCU PREV PREFF PRWL PET PROB PRELPHUMP PHUMAF PVTS PRELAFDB PSNR PGOVECONPRELBU PGOVZL PREP PHUMPRELBN PHSAPREL PARCA PGREV PGOVDO PGON PCON PODC PRELOV PHSAK PSHA PGOVGM PRELP POSCE PGOVPTER PHUMRU PINRHU PARMR PGOVTI PPEL PMAT PAN PANAM PGOVBO PRELHRC

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 09DHAHRAN74, SAUDI "GAS PRINCE" CONTROLS THE KINGDOM'S INDUSTRIAL

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09DHAHRAN74.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09DHAHRAN74 2009-04-08 06:07 2011-08-30 01:44 CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN Consulate Dhahran
VZCZCXRO2147
PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHDH #0074/01 0980607
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 080607Z APR 09
FM AMCONSUL DHAHRAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0075
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHDH/AMCONSUL DHAHRAN 0099
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DHAHRAN 000074 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
PASS TO NEA/ARP JOSHUA HARRIS AND EEB/ESC MICHAEL SULLIVAN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  4/8/2019 
TAGS: SA QA PGOV ECON ENRG EPET
SUBJECT: SAUDI "GAS PRINCE" CONTROLS THE KINGDOM'S INDUSTRIAL 
DEVELOPMENT 
 
REF: A. 91 RIYADH 6692 
     B. 09 JEDDAH 62 
     C. 09 DHAHRAN 17 
     D. 08 RIYADH 130 
     E. 08 RIYADH 1624 
     F. 09 RIYADH 271 
     G. 08 RIYADH 867 
     H. 07 RIYADH 1950 
 
DHAHRAN 00000074  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Joseph A. Kenny, Consul General, EXEC, DOS. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
1. (C/NF) KEY POINTS 
 
 
 
-- HRH Prince Faisal bin Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (FbT), 
Advisor to the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, 
controls the highly subsidized gas feedstock allocations for the 
petrochemical and power generation industries. 
 
 
 
-- The prince is known as being incorruptible and intelligent, 
but highly demanding and a tough negotiator when granting gas 
allocations. 
 
 
 
-- He utilizes his control over these allocations to require 
businesses to invest in a wide variety of "social obligations" 
consistent with the Kingdom's development goal of job creation 
and training for Saudis. 
 
 
 
-- Demand for the gas feedstock from the private sector is 
virtually unlimited at the very low subsidized price. 
 
 
 
-- Approximately 60% of Saudi Arabia's gas reserves are 
associated with oil recovery, and exploration efforts to find 
new commercially viable non-associated gas supplies have been 
largely unsuccessful to date. 
 
 
 
2. (C/NF) COMMENT 
 
 
 
-- At the highly subsidized rate of US $0.75 per million Btu, 
demand for Saudi gas feedstock is essentially unlimited. 
Therefore, the "Gas Prince" can afford to be patient and 
demanding when deciding to grant a gas allocation to any 
individual investor.  His marching orders from King Abdullah are 
to maximize the value obtained from each unit of gas allocated. 
More specifically, the prince's goal is to create jobs, thereby 
easing high unemployment among the youth and warding off other 
social ills related to an idle and young population.  Developing 
the Saudi workforce is essential to the long-term stability of 
the Kingdom.  The relatively little known Gas Prince will remain 
a very influential player in determining Saudi Arabia's ability 
to diversify their economy and employ tens of thousands of Saudi 
youth in the coming decades. 
 
 
 
End key points and comment. 
 
 
 
THE GAS PRINCE 
 
 
 
3. (C/NF) HRH Prince Faisal bin Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Saud 
(FbT) has worked as an advisor to the Ministry of Petroleum and 
Mineral Resources (MinPet) for more than two decades (ref A). 
He was born in 1965 and attended Saudi Arabia's premier 
university, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in 
Dhahran.  Saudi and foreign businessmen alike (quietly) talk 
about the influential role he plays in MinPet; specifically that 
he has absolute control over the heavily subsidized gas 
feedstock allocations made to the petrochemical and power 
generation industries.  (Note:  FbT also controls subsidized oil 
feedstock allocations (at US $2.60 per barrel), used 
predominantly in electricity power plants as fuel.  However, gas 
is significantly more sought after, as the value-adding 
 
DHAHRAN 00000074  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
petrochemical industry places a much higher value on the natural 
gas allocations.  End Note.) 
 
 
 
4. (C/NF) FbT has a reputation in the Eastern Province (EP) of 
Saudi Arabia as being incorruptible and intelligent but highly 
demanding and a tough negotiator.  He is known to have smart and 
trustworthy advisors -- mainly Western -- working in his 
Riyadh-based office.  Several Saudi contacts describe FbT as 
having the full support of King Abdullah, which makes him strong 
enough to shield off corrupting influence from other members of 
the royal family. 
 
 
 
5. (C/NF) Several prominent business contacts have described FbT 
as the "obstructive Gas Prince" and hold him responsible for 
their difficulties in obtaining the discounted feedstock. 
Khalid al-Fuhaid (protect), the president of the Midad Holding 
Company, said the prince, with whom he has worked directly on 
the gas allocation issue, is "clean [i.e., not corrupt], but he 
complicates things [for the private sector]."  Another prominent 
businessman in the mining industry, Dr. Said al-Qahtani 
(protect), said that the "problem" with feedstock allocations is 
FbT, not a gas shortage.  However, a high-level American 
executive disagrees noting it is inevitable that gas will be 
scarce when it is so heavily discounted, and he points to power 
generators switching from gas to oil as evidence of a gas 
shortage.  In the end, he asserted, "The prince is tough, but 
he's fair." 
 
 
 
6. (C/NF) Several contacts described the long and arduous 
process for obtaining an allocation from the Gas Prince.  First, 
just to meet with FbT, you must be affiliated with a large, 
international oil or petrochemical firm or an influential Saudi 
partner.  Next, you must present a detailed business plan laying 
out how you will meet your "social obligations" to the Saudi 
people, specifying the number of jobs that will be created.  FbT 
also demands that you outline training programs that you will 
establish for Saudis, possibly including building a new college 
or training center.  (Note:  FbT demanded and Exxon Mobil agreed 
to build a technical college from scratch.  End Note.)  Then, 
FbT demands that you establish downstream operations, even if 
they are not within your business's competency.  Finally, only 
after you have met all of the demands, he will direct MinPet to 
order Saudi Aramco to grant you the gas feedstock allocation. 
(Note:  One contact said that the actual letter granting the 
allocation is on Aramco letterhead, though they play no role in 
the decision-making process.  End Note.) 
 
 
 
7. (C/NF) With the gas allocation in hand, you can request that 
the Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu grant you a land 
allocation in the industrial areas, but not before.  The entire 
process often takes years and each time you go back for a new or 
increased allocation, FbT raises the social programs and job 
creation requirements.  Though several Saudi businessmen have 
complained about the difficulty of obtaining an allocation, 
several experienced executives in the petrochemical industry 
noted that FbT is only looking out for the best interest of his 
country - i.e., maximizing job creation, training opportunities 
and economic prosperity from the Kingdom's natural resources. 
 
 
 
PETROCHEMICALS AND ELECTRICITY DEMAND SUBSIDIZED GAS 
 
 
 
8. (U) Saudi Arabia hosts two substantial petrochemical 
production areas: The Royal Commission Cities of Yanbu in the 
west (ref B) and the much larger Jubail in the east (refs C, 
D).  Current plans to expand the already massive industrial 
cities have no shortage of interested investors.  Saudi Arabia's 
key to success in the petrochemical industry is the allocation 
of cheap gas feedstock (predominantly ethane, but also methane 
and other molecules).  Fixed at US $0.75 per million British 
thermal units (Btu), Saudi Arabia offers stable and cheap gas 
prices for the petrochemical industry's most significant basic 
input.  In contrast, the much more expensive and volatile 
internationally accepted benchmark for natural gas prices, the 
Henry Hub spot price, has gyrated from more than US $13.00 per 
million Btu in July 2008 to less than US $4.00 in March 2009. 
 
 
 
DHAHRAN 00000074  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
9. (U) The SAG's emphasis on diversifying the Saudi economy, as 
well as its booming population growth, has substantially 
increased the country's demand for electricity production.  In 
particular, new desalination, aluminum smelting, and other 
industrial ventures consume increasingly large amounts of 
electricity.  Fuel oil and natural gas (primarily methane) 
provide the bulk of electrical power generation, with a 
preference for the cleaner burning gas.  However, the insatiable 
demand for gas has led the SAG to switch the fuel for many 
electric power plants from scarce gas to plentiful oil and to 
begin considering alternative sources of energy, such as nuclear 
power (ref E) and solar technologies (ref F). 
 
 
 
10. (C/NF) On March 31, Saudi Aramco's Senior Vice President for 
Exploration and Production, Amin Nasser (protect), told the CG 
and EconOff, "We can never keep up with demand for gas from the 
private sector."  In reference to the discounted rate of gas 
Nasser added, "Seventy-five cents [per million Btu] is 
attracting everybody, even Qataris!"  (Note:  The tiny Gulf 
nation of Qatar has the third largest gas reserves in the world 
and substantially more than Saudi Arabia.  End Note.)  Industry 
analysts estimate that Saudi Arabia's demand for gas will 
increase from 5.5 billion standard cubic feet per day (scfd) to 
14.5 billion scfd (1 cubic foot of natural gas equals 1,028 Btu) 
over the next twenty-five years. 
 
 
 
THE NATURE OF SAUDI GAS 
 
 
 
11. (U) Though Saudi Arabia is estimated to have the fourth 
largest gas reserves in the world, about 60% are associated with 
oil.  Therefore, the amount of gas produced in Saudi Arabia is 
closely linked to the amount of oil produced.  Since Saudi oil 
production topped out at approximately 9.7 million barrels per 
day (mbpd) in July 2008, Saudi Aramco has cut production by 
roughly 20% to a reported 7.8 mbpd in February 2009, thereby 
significantly reducing associated gas production.  In order to 
make up for this decline in gas, the country has increased its 
use of fuel oil as an alternative to natural gas in its power 
plants.  As a result, Saudi Arabia halted fuel oil exports three 
months earlier than it usually needs to in order to cover the 
annual spike in summer electricity demand.  In fact, Saudi 
Aramco announced earlier this year that it would import more 
than 10 million barrels of fuel oil from Japan and India for the 
power generation and transportation industries. 
 
 
 
12. (U) Recent efforts to find new large, commercially viable 
non-associated gas reserves have been unsuccessful (ref F). 
(Note:  "Non-associated gas" is found in reservoirs that contain 
only gas and insignificant quantities of oil.  End Note.)  The 
originally high expectation of finding non-associated gas in the 
Empty Quarter of southeastern Saudi Arabia (Rub al-Khali) looks 
bleaker with each passing day.  Also, to date, most 
non-associated gas reserves are ethane-poor, which is fine for 
power generation (high methane content), but bad for the 
petrochemical industry, which primarily relies on the ethane 
molecule.  Saudi Aramco's largest non-associated offshore gas 
field, Karan, is scheduled to come on stream sometime in 2011, 
ramping up to eventually produce 1.8 billion scfd (1.84 trillion 
KENNY