VZCZCXRO6971
PP RUEHBC RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHJI #0452/01 3281158
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 241158Z NOV 09
FM AMCONSUL JEDDAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1616
INFO RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 8597
RUEHDH/AMCONSUL DHAHRAN 0170
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JEDDAH 000452 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/ARP (HARRIS), NEA/IR, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2029 
TAGS: IR KIRF KISL PGOV PREL KFLU SA
SUBJECT: THREATS OF IRANIAN PROTESTS AND H1N1 LOOM OVER HAJJ 
 
REF: A. RIYADH 1510 AND PREVIOUS 
     ¶B. RIYADH 1507 
 
JEDDAH 00000452  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
Classified By: Consul General Martin R. Quinn for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( 
d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY:  The Saudi Arabian Government (SAG) continues 
to prepare for the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, 
which will take place November 25)27. While concerns over 
the spread of H1N1 may lead to significantly fewer pilgrims 
participating in this year,s pilgrimage, SAG officials 
appear to have taken prudent measures to reduce the spread of 
the virus among pilgrims. To date, four pilgrims have died 
from swine flu, though reportedly all victims were elderly or 
had pre-existing medical conditions which made them more 
vulnerable to the virus. Reports indicate that SAG is 
prepared in the event an outbreak occurs, and several CDC 
officials are in Mecca in Jeddah assisting the Saudi efforts. 
 Larger concerns seem to swirl around the prospect of Iranian 
protests as Iran has made recent claims that their citizens 
are mistreated during the pilgrimage. 
¶2. (SBU) Additionally, this year,s pilgrims will find 
completed construction projects developed by SAG in its 
ongoing efforts to ensure pilgrims have a safe and relatively 
comfortable experience.  While pilgrims will likely welcome 
the expansion of the Jamarat Bridge, in the past has been the 
site of catastrophic stampedes, a sampling of early pilgrims 
indicates that many will not be so pleased with the opening 
of a new super mall adjacent to the Holy Mosque.   End 
summary. 
H1N1 PREPAREDNESS; FOUR FATALITIES TO DATE 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶3. (SBU) SAG officials as well as officials from the CDC have 
expressed confidence in the Kingdom,s preparedness for H1N1. 
 The media announced November 21 that four pilgrims died from 
swine flu complications shortly after arriving in country for 
the Hajj. Three of the victims, all 75 years old, from the 
nations of Sudan, India and Morocco, ignored SAG 
recommendations which asked that people over the age of 65 
not attend this year,s Hajj. The fourth victim was a 
17-year-old woman from Nigeria. According to the Saudi 
Ministry of Health, none of the victims had received the H1N1 
vaccination. 
¶4. (SBU) At a November 5 meeting in Mecca, Dr. Sahl 
Al-Sabban, Deputy Minister of Hajj, addressed the Kingdom,s 
Hajj preparations in light of the H1N1 threat.  Sabban 
explained that acquisition of a Hajj visa implied that a 
pilgrim had been pre-screened for health concerns. All 
persons applying for Hajj visas at Saudi embassies must 
present vaccination certificates to include meningitis and 
seasonal flu as well as H1N1, if available, prior to travel; 
health certificates are presented to show pilgrims to be free 
of chronic or communicable disease.  Upon arrival in Saudi 
Arabia, all pilgrims pass through heat sensors and those 
found to be feverish are denied entry or quarantined until 
screened by health officials.  Sabban noted that the Ministry 
of Health has increased the number of available hospitals and 
clinics at the Hajj sites of Mina, Mecca and Arafat and has 
opened a new health center for pilgrims in Jeddah (ref A). 
¶5. (SBU) CDC officials, operating in the Kingdom at the 
invitation of SAG since April to help with H1N1 preparedness, 
recently released a report on the status of their operation. 
Surveillance hospital capacity and other aspects of 
preparedness were field-tested during the peak Umrah season 
in August, which brought close to 2 million pilgrims to 
Mecca.  According to the CDC, SAG Ministry of Health 
officials confirmed there were only 26 cases of H1N1 (and no 
deaths) during this period.  The CDC report further stated 
that "as a continuation of preparedness plans for Hajj, 
efforts are under way to assure live linkages between the 
public health and emergency services operations under the SAG 
MoH and the Ministry of Civil Defense.  Both entities will 
jointly determine potential triggers for activating the Civil 
Defense Emergency Plan should the pandemic pattern change. 
 
¶6. (SBU) In recent trips to Mecca and Medina Conoffs 
witnessed the interaction of several thousand pilgrims who 
had arrived early for the Hajj prayers.  While some wore 
protective masks, the majority seemed oblivious to concerns 
about contracting the H1N1 virus.  American pilgrims, in 
particular, expressed a sense of ease about the threat during 
a November 20 meeting in Medina.  Hajj leader Yusef 
Wazeruddin said that his group and most American Muslims he 
knew were not too concerned about H1N1, commenting, "There 
was no major outbreak during Ramadan when many pilgrims made 
umrah, so no one is really concerned that it will be a 
 
JEDDAH 00000452  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
problem now." 
 
IRAN AND POLITICIZING THE HAJJ 
------------------------------ 
¶7. (C) Saudi officials seem more concerned over potential 
political protests from their Iranian neighbors than an 
outbreak of H1N1.  In response to Iranian President 
Ahmadinejad,s allegations that Saudi Arabia might abuse 
Shiite pilgrims from Iran during the Hajj, the Saudis have 
reacted with sharp warnings to keep politics out of the Hajj 
and reiterated the Kingdom's right to defend its territory 
against attacks (ref B).  Saudi Hajj Minister Fouad al-Farsy 
(a Duke University graduate) said Iran should not take 
advantage of the pilgrimage for political purposes or to 
promote its own agenda.  King Abdullah publicly announced 
that Saudi Arabia would not allow any political 
demonstrations or political signs and banners during this 
Hajj season. Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior 
Prince Naif said in a November 22 press conference that the 
SAG had ¬ demanded any special pledge from any group8 
but that everybody knew it &rejects anything that violates 
the sanctity of the occasion8 and that the SAG deals &with 
those who tamper with Haj security with total force and 
resolve.8  About 100,000 security officers have been 
deployed to the holy sites to ensure the protection and 
safety of pilgrims. 
¶8. (SBU) According to Saudi newspapers, Palestinian and 
Egyptian officials have joined calls by the SAG to keep 
politics out of the Hajj. Dr. Mahmoood Al-Habbash, 
Palestinian Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs, 
said any actions aimed at disturbing the Hajj are 
inconsistent with the principles of the Hajj ritual. 
Likewise, Dr. Ali Al-Mussailihi, Egyptian Minister of Social 
Affairs and head of the Egyptian Hajj mission, described any 
disturbances as &deviant.8 
¶9. (SBU) Approximately 60,000 Iranians are expected to 
participate in this year,s Hajj. Saudis remember that in 
1987 Iranian pilgrims mounted demonstrations which resulted 
in heavy clashes between Saudi security forces and 
demonstrators causing over 400 deaths. 
REDUCING THE THREAT OF STAMPEDES 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) During his meeting with ConOffs, Dr. Sabban pointed 
to the Jamarat Pedestrian Bridge as an area in which the 
Kingdom had made major safety improvements, noting that this 
year,s pilgrims would benefit from the completion of the 
fifth and final phase of the $1.2 billion Jamarat project. 
The Jamarat Bridge is constructed around three pillars at 
which pilgrims throw small stones or pebbles in the "stoning 
the devil" ritual. In past years, many pilgrims died in 
stampedes during the course of this exercise; the worst 
incident occurred in 2006 when 364 pilgrims lost their lives 
in a crush of bodies at the bridge entrance.  In an effort to 
prevent future catastrophes, Saudi authorities have 
constructed a five-story bridge to accommodate larger numbers 
of pilgrims and to allow smoother movement in and out of the 
facility.  The state-of-the-art bridge has 10 entrances and 
12 exits distributed over five levels and will allow 300,000 
pilgrims to throw stones every hour. According Sabban, guards 
will be posted along the roads leading to the facility to 
stop the flow of pilgrims when the number reaches 300,000. 
 
SUPER MALL ADJACENT TO HOLY MOSQUE NOT WELL RECEIVED 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶11. (C) ConOffs made a brief visit to the large, new shopping 
mall located across the street from the south entrance to the 
Holy Mosque.  The four-story mall, which includes Starbucks 
and Hardees, is housed in a massive complex known as the 
Abraj Al-Bait, built by the Saudi Bin Laden Group. In 
addition to the mall, the structure boasts residential towers 
that will house up to 100,000 residents.  A number of 
pilgrims, some visiting Mecca for Umrah and others arriving 
early for Hajj, were asked their opinions concerning the new 
facility. Reactions were overwhelmingly negative.  Many 
pilgrims articulated their belief that having a mall towering 
over the Ka,aba was sacrilegious.  Even a number of locals 
expressed their displeasure with the project, including Hajj 
Minister Fouad Al-Farsy (protect), who told us, 
off-the-record, that he "guaranteed" that in twenty years 
&the structure would be torn down.8  Some Mecca residents 
fear the new construction will disrupt underground water 
systems, including the holy well of Zam Zam.  When concerns 
about the well were raised with a Saudi Bin Laden Group 
representative, they were dismissed as "unfounded" since 
engineering studies had proved there would be no interference 
 
JEDDAH 00000452  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
with the flow of the sacred water. 
 
 
HAJJ MORALS CAMPAIGN 
-------------------- 
 
12.(SBU) The Emir/Governor of the Mecca region, Prince Khaled 
Al-Faisal, has launched a special Hajj morals campaign to 
reduce "improper behavior," emphasizing that &being a 
pilgrim is not an excuse that allows pilgrims to break the 
rules of Islam and the Kingdom.8  Prince Khaled's mdia 
campaign focuses on the requirement to obtain proper licenses 
to perform the Hajj, and is desined to clamp down on gross 
violations such as seling relics and souvenirs and begging 
during theHajj.  Local Hajj companies are urged not to 
accpt more than their official quotas of pilgris.  The 
Ministry of Hajj has announced that severe sentences and 
fines will be imposed on those caught violating the rules. 
 
 
¶13. (C) COMMENT:  The SAG has consistently managed the 
security and logistical challenges of hosting 2 to 3 million 
pilgrims during the annual Hajj.  This year appears no 
different with the expansion of the Jamarat Bridge, the 
source of past problems, as well as the preparations to deal 
with the H1N1 threat.  However, the recent war of words 
between Tehran and Riyadh over the treatment of Iranian 
pilgrims and the negative reactions that many Muslims, local 
and foreign, have had toward the development of commercial 
real estate next to the Holy Mosque are strong reminders of 
two constant and larger challenges Saudi Arabia faces with 
regard to the pilgrimage.  First, ensuring that political and 
factional disagreements that exist in the Muslim World are 
kept at bay during this mass gathering of believers and, 
second, ensuring that Muslims at home and abroad continue to 
view the Saudi leadership as the legitimate and effective 
protectors of the sanctity of the two Holy Mosques of Islam. 
End comment. 
 
QUINN. 
QUINN