VZCZCXRO6668
RR RUEHDE
DE RUEHCL #0418/01 1171319
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 271319Z APR 06
FM AMCONSUL CASABLANCA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6542
INFO RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 2792
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0627
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 7556
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 1919
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0026

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 CASABLANCA 000418 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG AND NEA/OFI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2016 
TAGS: ECON EFIN EIND MO
SUBJECT: YNNA HOLDINGS:  A MULTI-NATIONAL MANAGED BY 
ISLAMIC PRINCIPLES? 
 
REF: A. 05 CASABLANCA 01220 
 
     ¶B. 05 RABAT 01159 
 
Classified By: 
Principal Officer Douglas Greene for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
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SUMMARY: 
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¶1.  (C)  SUMMARY:  Ynna Holdings -- one of Morocco's largest 
and most successful privately owned industrial and financial 
groups -- is a family-owned multi-national with business 
practices strongly influenced by Islamic principles. 
Ynna-owned supermarkets and hotels sell neither alcohol nor 
tobacco.  The company avoids paying interest on loans by 
financing most of its ventures from its own resources. 
Founder Miloud Chaabi celebrates his modest beginnings and 
takes pride in having assembled his empire without close 
governmental or royal connections.  However, some critics 
argue Ynna Holdings succeeds precisely because of its 
associations with the Moroccan royal, political and business 
elite. Observers question the intertwined relationship 
between Ynna Holdings and the royally-controlled conglomerate 
Omnium Nord Africain (ONA) as well as the overtly political 
nature of Chaabi's own family.  Miloud Chaabi himself is an 
"independent" Member of Parliament (MP) representing his home 
district near Essaouira.  His daughter is the well-known 
Mayor of Essaouira.  In addition, one son is Mayor of Soussi 
(Rabat) and another is an MP with the Islamist Party of 
Justice and Development (PJD).  Despite some negative 
opinions held by some in the business community, Miloud 
Chaabi enjoys a national reputation among the Moroccan public 
as a self-made "man of the people."  He is widely respected 
for his business acumen, his philanthropic endeavors and his 
commitment to religion.  End Summary. 
 
YNNA: A MODERN "ISLAMIC" COMPANY? 
 
¶2.  (C) Miloud Chaabi began building Ynna when he was 
twenty-one years old by founding a real estate company in 
Kenitra (that has since become one of the largest in 
Morocco).  Since then, his holdings have grown to include 
over a dozen companies in five different countries with more 
than 12,000 employees.  Today Ynna is comprised of three 
operational pillars: 1) real estate and construction, 2) 
industrial holdings and 3) emerging sectors (currently 
distribution and tourism). Miloud Chaabi's industrial 
holdings serve mostly Moroccan domestic demand; he only 
exports to countries without local competition. 
Internationally, the company operates much like a private 
equity group, buying local companies and restructuring them. 
The Chaabi Group officially became Ynna Holdings in 1986. 
Ynna is Berber for 'Mother" and Miloud Chaabi renamed his 
group as a homage "to all mothers."  The new name also 
reflects how he sees Ynna's relationship with subsidiary 
companies (maternal and nurturing), in contrast to the 
patriarchal (strict and domineering) culture found among many 
Moroccan firms. 
 
¶3.  (C) Omar Chaabi, Miloud Chaabi,s young, U.S.-educated 
son, is a senior executive in the family business. 
Consistent with his modern marketing background, he sports a 
business card with the title &Change Manager.8  He bristles 
at attempts to categorize Ynna as "Islamic," describing such 
claims as exaggerated and overblown.  For example, he 
characterizes Ynna's decision not to sell alcohol or tobacco 
in its hotels and supermarkets as a reflection of personal 
principle, not dogmatic religious belief.  "Even gangsters 
have principles," he joked to econoff.  Moreover, Omar Chaabi 
reminded, "selling alcohol to Muslims is against the law in 
Morocco anyway," a pointed reference to competitors that 
openly sell alcool to Muslims and non-Muslims alike (and 
link thmselves precariously to a corrupt enforcement systm 
in the process). He argues that firms operatingin the Arab 
world need to adapt to the Muslim maket, which is different 
from the West.  "Sure, i might not work in the U.S. or 
Europe," he conceed to econoff, "but in Morocco the market 
existsfor hotels and supermarkets that reflect culturalvalues." Omar Chaabi made the point that many Westrn firms 
fail in the Middle East and North Afric precisely because 
they resist adapting to the clture.  "We can sell lots of 
things" he conclude, "why sell things that hurt people?" 
 
¶4.  (C)  Oservers also point to Miloud Chaabi's 
unwillingnss to pay interest as evidence of Islamic 
princiles influencing his business practices.  Again, hi 
 
CASABLANCA 00000418  002 OF 004 
 
 
son is dismissive and explains the decision is purely 
practical.  "You can't build a business on bank money," he 
argues, citing interests rates of more than 8%.  "It is 
cheaper to finance projects ourselves; it makes us more 
competitive."  Omar Chaabi recounted to econoff a story his 
father tells of seeing his banker lounging by the pool of his 
hotel in Marrakech with a cigar and a drink.  "I can't 
believe I work for him," the elder Chaabi realized, and 
decided to avoid borrowing money as much as possible.  "If 
you ask people who don't know my father to draw a picture of 
him," Omar Chaabi explained, "people will draw a picture of a 
Mullah with a long beard, but my father is not like that.  He 
doesn't have a beard and he plays golf every day.  He's a 
very modern guy." 
 
¶5.  (C)  Miloud Chaabi himself projects a much more 
conservative image than his son portrayed.  During a private 
lunch with the Ambassador on March 27, Miloud Chabbi 
addressed the question of Ynna as an Islamic company by 
expounding authoritatively on Islamic history.  He explained 
how the great Islamic empires failed because those regimes 
"drifted away from their Islamic principles."  Speaking in 
Arabic and quoting the Koran, Miloud described Islam as a 
religion founded in "peace justice and human rights." 
However, he described a vision of justice incorporating "an 
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."  "How can a society 
function without justice?" he asked.  As to his company's 
Islamic influences, Miloud 
Chaabi was unimpressed with the potential profits he 
sacrifices by not selling alcohol or tobacco.  "I'm not a 
fundamentalist," he insists, "If I am out at a business 
dinner and my guests order alcohol, I will pay for it. Not 
selling alcohol is just our way of doing things." 
 
¶6.  (C)  Miloud Chaabi explained further to the Ambassador 
that his hotel in Essaouira hosts a Jewish group every year 
that brings in its own food and alcohol.  "I have no problem 
with that," he said, arguing the group stays with him because 
of the quality of service his hotels provide.  "They could 
stay in Azoulay's hotel," Miloud Chaabi boasted, (referring 
to the Sofitel hotel owned by the prominent Jewish palace 
advisor Andre Azoulay), "but instead they stay at mine."  He 
argued (like his son) that a market exists for Islamic 
enterprises.  Miloud Chaabi went on to say that "Americans 
need to throw away their cowboy hats" when looking to invest 
in the Middle East and North Africa.  "It's different here," 
he explained, and by way of example described Ynna's approach 
to corruption.  "Everyone in the West talks about how Egypt 
is so corrupt, but I have been there for years and never paid 
a bribe," he insisted.  Miloud Chaabi argued that 
bribe-seekers "know who to look for," and that his company's 
reputation for integrity means he never gets hassled.  When 
the Ambassador pointed out that Ynna's considerable size and 
influence might contribute to that as well, Miloud Chaabi 
responded that even the smallest U.S. companies can "call on 
the U.S. Ambassador to help them...that is a powerful 
privilege, too." 
 
YNNA RELATIONSHIP WITH GOVERNMENT AND PALACE 
 
¶7.  (C)  Miloud Chaabi is proud of his modest beginnings and 
&up from the bootstraps8 &self-made man8 story.  He takes 
pride in expanding his business ostensibly without strong 
government or royal connections, despite his family's active 
role in politics and his company's intertwined relationship 
with ONA, the royally controlled conglomerate.  To 
demonstrate Ynna,s "independence", company officials boast 
that it is the only Moroccan company to successfully sue the 
Moroccan tax authority.  Omar Chaabi jokes that Ynna may be 
the only company in Morocco that "pays all of its taxes." 
Despite these claims, some remain unconvinced.  As several 
Casablanca-based contacts cryptically observed "no business 
succeeds in Morocco against the wishes of the Palace." 
 
YNNA AND ONA: AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE? 
 
¶8.  (C)  Omar Chaabi describes Ynna's relationship with the 
royal family-controlled conglomerate ONA (ref A) succinctly: 
"They are our biggest client, our biggest competitor and our 
biggest supplier."  When asked about the obvious conflicts of 
interest implicit in that arrangement, he was mildly evasive: 
"that's never been a problem."  Ynna also conducts 90% of its 
banking with Attijariwafa bank, (ref B) which is majority 
owned by ONA.  Ynna's cagey responses to questions about its 
relationship with ONA give credence to criticism that Ynna is 
yet another "makhzen" (a Moroccan term for the circle of 
 
CASABLANCA 00000418  003 OF 004 
 
 
elites close to the king) enterprise and not so independent 
from the Moroccan royal, political, and business elite as 
company officials would like people to think. 
 
YNNA AND MOROCCAN POLITICS: A FAMILY AFFAIR? 
 
¶9.  (C)  Although Miloud Chaabi and his son fervently insist 
Ynna has no political connections or agenda, the Chaabi 
family itself is undeniably active in politics.  Miloud 
Chaabi himself is a Member of 
Parliament (MP) representing his home district of Essaouira. 
He recently resigned from the Socialist Party (USFP) after 
being affiliated with the Istiqlal party for many years.  He 
now considers himself "independent."  Miloud Chaabi has a son 
who is mayor of Souissi (a Rabat neighborhood) and another 
who is an MP with the PJD, Morocco's legal Islamist party. 
His Oxford-educated daughter is the nationally-known 
Socialist party mayor of Essaouira, Asma Chaabi.  She has 
been the subject of numerous media profiles and has 
participated in several USG-funded programs as an Arab-female 
political success story.  Omar Chaabi joked that despite how 
well known his father is, his sister "sometimes gets more 
spotlight."  He confided to econoff that his family still 
jokes about the U.S. Embassy Fourth of July party when his 
father was introduced as "the father of the Mayor of 
Essaouira." 
 
YNNA: WHAT DOES THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THINK? 
 
¶10.  (C)  Banking contacts comment almost universally on 
Ynna's lack of transparency.  One banker suggested that 
transparency issues are why Ynna must self-finance ventures. 
Banks are uncomfortable lending without full financial 
disclosure.  Other bankers added that while it is true that 
commercial credit is not the cheapest source for growing a 
business, there is always the option of private equity and 
venture capital funds.  Miloud Chaabi shuns unnecessary 
financial disclosures or shared ownership.  Another 
investment banker described Ynna as "aggressive, but not well 
structured."  He argued that Ynna is quick to diversify into 
areas "that don't integrate well into existing businesses.8 
However, he conceded that lack of financial disclosure "makes 
it difficult to understand its business strategy." 
 
¶11.  (C)  Business contacts are generally cynical of Ynna's 
claims to be "independent" of the government and palace and 
several alluded to rumors of unsavory business practices, 
especially early on in Miloud Chaabi's career.  Some rumors 
took a dark tone, alleging Ynna strong-armed small-scale 
property owners and sold asbestos-lined water pipes to 
municipal governments.  Other rumors are more innocuous, 
claiming for example that female bankers were separated from 
the men at a Ynna-conducted meeting with a local bank. 
However, these stories could conceivably be borne of 
jealously, amount to idle gossip, or considered a reflection 
of growing unease in the Casablanca-based business community 
to perceived Islamist encroachment in the public sector. 
(Econoff was unable to confirm first-hand the bank anecdote, 
for example; some bankers responded that they "could imagine 
that happening" while others quickly dismissed the story as 
nonsense.) 
 
YNNA: BIG FISH, SMALL POND? 
 
¶12.  (C)  Omar Chaabi admits that Ynna is not looking toward 
advancing business interests with the United States, despite 
the newly implemented U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement.  He 
complained that the U.S. market is too big.  Moroccans "can 
really only succeed (in the United States) in niche markets," 
he argued.  Ynna is quite profitable in existing regions and 
"isn't hungry to chase after the U.S. market."  He also 
acknowledged the role of language and cultural barriers; "We 
don't have many English-speaking employees here," he 
admitted. 
 
¶13.  (C)  Miloud Chaabi wasted no time during his March 27 
private lunch with the Ambassador to ask what could be done 
to encourage American foreign investment in Morocco, 
stressing its importance for developing Morocco's economy. 
"I have invested over $1 billion in the Arab world" he 
boasted, "why are Americans so scared?"  Miloud Chaabi 
chastised fearful American investors and warned of 
encroaching gains in North Africa by Chinese businessman and 
entrepreneurs.  "They are not fearful and they know how to 
adapt," he noted ominously.  At the same time however, Miloud 
Chaabi harshly criticized recent investments by U.S.-based 
 
CASABLANCA 00000418  004 OF 004 
 
 
International Paper and Colony Capital, a hint that the 
Chaabi family prefers American investment only in industries 
that don't directly compete with its interests. 
 
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COMMENT: 
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¶14.  (C) Comment:  Despite Miloud's son Omar's (at times 
defensive) protestations and resistance of the "Islamic" 
label, Ynna Holdings does seem to reflect certain Islamic 
principles of his father.  The elder Chaabi enjoys 
considerable credibility and respect among the general public 
and represents to some a possible "third way" for Islamic 
businessman and entrepreneurs to approach Western-dominated 
globalization without sacrificing religious principles. 
Several banks in Morocco are considering introducing Islamic 
financial products. Ynna,s experience demonstrates that 
there is a profitable market for services that reflect 
cultural values.  At the same time, Chaabi's and Ynna,s 
story is more nuanced than the public image suggests.  He is 
in many ways as much a reflection of the traditional, closed 
Moroccan cultural business context as he is an exception to 
it.  Nonetheless, Ynna's public reputation and success could 
make it an excellent partner for USG efforts to deliver the 
message that economic liberalization does not have to 
engender cultural assimilation. 
 
¶15.  (U)  This cable has been cleared by Ambassador Riley. 
GREENE