This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ABU DHABI 002470 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KPAL KWBG AE
SUBJECT: THE PALESTINIAN COMMUNITY IN THE UAE: A PROSPEROUS 
SILENT MINORITY 
 
REF: (A) 2005 ABU DHABI 3404, (B) ABU DHABI 2248 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: MORE THAN 120,000 PALESTINIAN EXPATRIATES 
CURRENTLY RESIDE IN THE UAE, A GULF STATE WHICH IS A MAJOR 
AID DONOR TO PALESTINIANS IN THE WEST BANK AND GAZA.  OVER 
THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES, PALESTINIANS HAVE COME TO THE 
UAE, BRINGING WITH THEM THEIR EDUCATION, KNOW-HOW, AND 
CAPITAL -- A RELATIONSHIP THAT HAS SERVED THE MUTUAL 
INTERESTS OF BOTH THE UAE AND THE PALESTINIANS.  MANY 
PALESTINIANS HAVE ACHIEVED SUCCESS IN BUSINESS, AND A 
CHOSEN FEW HAVE WON UAE CITIZENSHIP.  PALESTINIANS IN THE 
UAE TEND NOT TO ENGAGE IN ANY OVERT POLITICAL ACTIVITY THAT 
COULD JEOPARDIZE THEIR RESIDENCY STATUS, BUT THEY DO PURSUE 
VIGOROUS DEBATE AMONG THEMSELVES ABOUT POLITICAL 
DEVELOPMENTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN THE PALESTINIAN 
TERRITORIES.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS (AND MAYBE A PASSPORT) 
--------------------------------------------- - 
¶2. (U) SINCE AT LEAST THE EARLY 1960'S, PALESTINIANS HAVE 
ARRIVED IN THE UAE AND PLAYED KEY ROLES IN THE COUNTRY'S 
DEVELOPMENT.  WHILE MOST EARLY IMMIGRANTS WORKED AS 
TEACHERS OR TOOK JOBS IN THE OIL FIELDS, PALESTINIAN 
RESIDENTS NOW WORK IN ALL SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY.  THE 
MAJORITY OF UAE-PALESTINIAN FAMILIES TEND TO STAY IN THE 
UAE AS LONG AS THEY CAN, USUALLY LEAVING ONLY WHEN THE 
SPONSORED FAMILY MEMBERS RETIRE AND THEIR WORK/RESIDENCE 
VISAS ARE CANCELLED.  PARENTS WHO DEPART PRIOR TO 
RETIREMENT USUALLY RETURN TO JORDAN WHEN THEIR CHILDREN GO 
TO UNIVERSITY, OR EMIGRATE AFTER HAVING SUCCESSFULLY SOUGHT 
RESIDENCY PERMITS IN CANADA. 
 
¶3. (SBU) TODAY, PALESTINIANS OCCUPY SENIOR POSITIONS IN UAE 
GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND BANKS, OWN IMPORTANT BUSINESSES, 
AND TEACH IN SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES.  ONE EXAMPLE, 
IBRAHIM AL ABED, A PALESTINIAN WHO ACQUIRED UAE 
CITIZENSHIP, DIRECTS THE UAE WIRE SERVICE, EMIRATES NEWS 
AGENCY (A POSITION COMPARABLE TO THAT OF AN UNDER 
SECRETARY).  HE ALSO SERVED FOR 10 YEARS AS MEDIA ADVISOR 
 
SIPDIS 
TO THEN-INFORMATION MINISTER (AND CURRENT FOREIGN MINISTER) 
SHEIKH ABDULLAH BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN.  OTHER PALESTINIAN 
EMIRATIS OF NOTE INCLUDE YOUSEF AL HASSAN, THE DIRECTOR OF 
THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS' INSTITUTE OF DIPLOMACY IN 
ABU DHABI; GHASSAN TAHBOUB, THE ADVISOR TO THE RULER OF 
DUBAI; AND ZUHDI AL KHATIB, THE CULTURAL AND EDUCATION 
ATTACHE AT THE UAE EMBASSY IN JORDAN. 
 
¶4. (U) THE APPROXIMATELY 120,000 PALESTINIAN EXPATRIATES IN 
THE UAE ARE PRIMARILY SUNNI MUSLIMS WITH A FEW THOUSAND 
CHRISTIANS.  THEY MAY CARRY ONE OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT 
IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENTS INCLUDING SYRIAN AND LEBANESE 
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS, TEMPORARY (VALID FOR 2 YEARS) OR 
PERMANENT JORDANIAN PASSPORTS (VALID FOR 5 YEARS); 
PALESTINIAN PASSPORTS (FOR GAZANS); AND UAE AND OTHER 
FOREIGN PASSPORTS.  MOST PALESTINIAN BUSINESS MEN AND WOMEN 
HOLD EITHER A PERMANENT JORDANIAN PASSPORT OR A PASSPORT 
FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY, SINCE HOLDERS OF PALESTINIAN AND 
TEMPORARY JORDANIAN PASSPORTS, OR SYRIAN AND LEBANESE 
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS, OFTEN FACE DIFFICULTIES IN TRAVELING AND 
IN PROCESSING BUSINESS AND PERSONAL DOCUMENTS. 
 
¶5. (SBU) PALESTINIANS IN THE UAE OFTEN SEEK CITIZENSHIP IN 
OTHER COUNTRIES, WITH SPECIFIC INTEREST IN CANADA.  MANY 
APPLY FOR CANADIAN IMMIGRATION WHILE THEIR CHILDREN ARE 
STILL IN SCHOOL, AND THEN EITHER EMIGRATE AS A FAMILY, OR 
JUST SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO STUDY IN CANADA AFTER HIGH 
SCHOOL.  MANY PALESTINIANS WHO WORKED CLOSELY WITH UAE 
RULING FAMILIES 30-40 YEARS AGO NOW CARRY UAE PASSPORTS. 
THE PATH TO CITIZENSHIP THROUGH LOYAL SERVICE IS MOST 
COMMON IN DUBAI.  DURING THE PAST YEAR, SOME PALESTINIANS 
AND OTHER EXPATRIATE FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN RESIDENTS IN 
DUBAI FOR OVER 30 YEARS WERE ABLE TO APPLY AND GET 
CITIZENSHIP FROM THE EMIRATE OF DUBAI, ALTHOUGH MOST REMAIN 
FRUSTRATED BY THE LACK OF OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME CITIZENS. 
DUBAI APPEARS TO BE THE ONLY EMIRATE THAT ACTIVELY 
FACILITATES CITIZENSHIP, BUT EVEN THAT IS NOT ON A LARGE 
SCALE.  ALTHOUGH THE GRANTING OF UAE CITIZENSHIP OCCURS ON 
A VERY LIMITED BASIS, OTHER GCC COUNTRIES HAVE FAR STRICTER 
REGULATIONS FOR GRANTING CITIZENSHIP.  LOCAL PALESTINIANS 
BELIEVE THAT SAUDI ARABIA AND QATAR ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT 
GULF COUNTRIES IN WHICH TO OBTAIN CITIZENSHIP. 
 
UAE SUPPORT FOR PALESTINIANS AT HOME AND ABROAD 
-------------------------------------------- 
¶6. (SBU) UAE NATIONALS ARE GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF 
PALESTINIANS BOTH WITHIN THE UAE AS WELL AS ABROAD. 
EMIRATIS OFTEN VOICE SUPPORT FOR PALESTINIANS AND 
FREQUENTLY CONDEMN ISRAELI AND AMERICAN POLICIES PERCEIVED 
AS DETRIMENTAL TO THE INTERESTS OF PALESTINIANS.  THE UAEG 
OFFERS SIGNIFICANT FOREIGN ASSISTANCE TO THE PALESTINIAN 
PEOPLE IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES, GENERALLY PROVIDED 
IN THE FORM OF NON-MONETARY ASSISTANCE SUCH AS THE BUILDING 
AND EQUIPPING OF HOSPITALS, OR THE $100 MILLION SHEIKH 
KHALIFA HOUSING COMPLEX CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN 
GAZA FOR 30,000-40,000 DISPLACED PALESTINIANS (REF A). 
BOTH MONETARY AND NON-MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS ARE USUALLY 
CHANNELED THROUGH THE UAE RED CRESCENT SOCIETY, WHICH 
PROVIDED $9.7 MILLION IN AID TO THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES 
IN 2005 (REF B). 
 
¶7. (SBU) UAEG OFFICIALS HAVE EXPRESSED PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR 
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ORGANIZED BY PALESTINIAN INDIVIDUALS AND 
ORGANIZATIONS IN THE UAE.  FUNDRAISING DINNERS, RAMADAN 
IFTARS, AND HOMEMADE FOOD SALES FOR CHARITY ARE HOSTED BY 
SHEIKH NAHYAN BIN MUBARAK AL-NAHYAN, MINISTER OF HIGHER 
EDUCATION.  DURING RAMADAN, SHEIKH NAHYAN COMMONLY RECEIVES 
A NUMBER OF PALESTINIAN VIPS, SUCH AS SECURITY ADVISOR 
MOHAMMED DAHLAN, TOP BUSINESSMAN AND EX-FINANCE MINISTER 
MUNIB AL MASRI, AND OTHERS, AT HIS MAJLIS.  ADDITIONALLY, 
LECTURES ON ISSUES RELATING TO THE PALESTINIAN SITUATION 
ARE ORGANIZED THROUGH THE UAE CULTURAL FOUNDATION.  THE 
UAEG SUPPORTS A PRIVATE PALESTINIAN SCHOOL, "AL QUDS," 
THROUGH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND BY APPROVING THE SCHOOL'S 
FUND RAISING ACTIVITIES. 
 
¶8. (SBU) IN ADDITION TO FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES, THE UAEG 
HAS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF CULTURAL AND CIVIC ACTIVITIES.  AS 
EXAMPLES, THE ABU DHABI CULTURAL FOUNDATION HAS HOSTED 
KNESSET MEMBER AZMI BISHARA TO DISCUSS PALESTINIAN 
POLITICAL ISSUES, AND THE FORMER DEPUTY PALESTINIAN 
MINISTER OF CULTURE, SUAD AL-AMIRY, TO TALK ABOUT LIFE AND 
TIMES IN PALESTINE (AL-AMIRY IS NOW THE DIRECTOR OF A 
RAMALLAH-BASED NGO).  YASSER ABED RABBO SPOKE AT THE 
EMIRATES CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES AND RESEARCH (ECSSR) 
CONFERENCE IN MARCH 2006.  AND IN MAY, ABU DHABI MUSIC 
FOUNDATION HOSTED RAMI KHALIFEH, THE SON OF THE POLITICAL 
SINGER MARCEL KHALIFEH.  PALESTINE INTERNATIONAL 
UNIVERSITY, RECENTLY OPENED A LIAISON OFFICE IN DUBAI, AND 
WILL START ITS FIRST ACADEMIC SEMESTER IN SEPTEMBER. 
 
POLITICS LESS URGENT THAN RESIDENCE PERMITS 
------------------------------------------ 
¶9. (SBU) PALESTINIANS HAVE FOUND SECURITY IN WHAT THEY 
PERCEIVE TO BE A WELCOMING COUNTRY AND THEREFORE DO NOT 
GENERALLY ENGAGE IN ANY POLITICAL ACTIVITY LIKELY TO 
JEOPARDIZE THEIR RESIDENCE STATUS OR TO "ROCK THE BOAT." 
IN THE PAST, POLITICAL-RELATED ACTIVITIES WERE USUALLY 
CONFINED TO SIT-INS AT THE PALESTINIAN EMBASSY COMPOUND IN 
ABU DHABI (THE UAEG APPROVED THE LAST DEMONSTRATION IN 2000 
AFTER THE START OF THE SECOND INTIFADA), AND LECTURES BY 
POLITICAL FIGURES AT THE ABU DHABI CULTURAL FOUNDATION AND 
THE ECSSR. 
 
¶10. (SBU) ALTHOUGH POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS AMONG PALESTINIANS 
ARE SUBDUED IN PUBLIC, THEY ARE OFTEN LIVELY AND HEATED IN 
PRIVATE.  IT IS IMPOSSIBLE THESE DAYS TO ENTER A 
PALESTINIAN HOME IN THE UAE WITHOUT HEARING FERVENT DEBATE 
ABOUT THE PROS AND CONS OF HAMAS IN LEADERSHIP.  EARLIER 
THE TALK WAS OF SUPPORTING FATAH, BUT LATELY PALESTINIANS 
HERE ARE SAYING THAT HAMAS SHOULD BE GIVEN A CHANCE, 
ESPECIALLY WITH THE FINANCIAL CORRUPTION IN FATAH CIRCLES. 
(NOTE: THE NEW PALESTINIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UAE, KHAIRY AL- 
ARIDI, IS A FATAH MEMBER.  END NOTE.)  PALESTINIAN 
EDUCATORS, PRIMARILY ARABIC AND ISLAMIC STUDIES TEACHERS, 
OFFER STRONG SUPPORT TO HAMAS AND TEND TO BE MORE 
CONSERVATIVE OR EVEN EXTREMIST IN THEIR VIEWS THAN THE REST 
OF THE UAE PALESTINIAN POPULATION. (NOTE: THE UAEG HAS BEEN 
WORKING SINCE AT LEAST 2004 TO MODERNIZE AND UPDATE THE 
ISLAMIC STUDIES CURRICULUM IN ORDER TO CORRECT 
"MISINTERPRETATIONS OF ISLAM."  END NOTE.)  SOME 
PALESTINIANS, HOWEVER, HAVE NO PARTICULAR PREFERENCE OR 
SUPPORT FOR A POLITICAL PARTY.  MANY, IF NOT MOST, STILL 
EXPRESS LONGING FOR AN INDEPENDENT PALESTINIAN STATE, WHILE 
SOME EXPRESS BITTERNESS THAT STATEHOOD HAS NOT YET BEEN 
ACHIEVED. 
 
PALESTINIANS WELL-REPRESENTED IN UAE BUSINESS 
--------------------------------------------- 
¶11. (SBU) PALESTINIANS ARE SIGNIFICANT INVESTORS IN THE 
UAE, PREFERRING FOR SEVERAL REASONS NOT TO INVEST IN THE 
PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES.  HAVING LIVED IN THE UAE FOR 
DECADES, MANY STARTED AS SALARIED EMPLOYEES AND THEN WERE 
ABLE TO GATHER ENOUGH MONEY TO OPEN THEIR OWN BUSINESSES, 
WHILE A FEW POSSESSED CAPITAL THAT THEY USED FOR INVESTING 
IN THE UAE.  MANY PALESTINIANS MANAGE THEIR OWN BUSINESSES 
IN THE UAE.  AS EXAMPLES, THE OWNER OF A MAJOR CHAIN STORE 
"GRAND STORES", MOHAMED ABU ISSA, IS A PALESTINIAN 
JORDANIAN.  A MAJOR CONTRACTOR FOR SECURITY AND OIL 
EQUIPMENT, WHO IS ALSO A MAJOR FINANCIAL CONTRACTOR 
COUNTRY, IS PALESTINIAN AMERICAN NOOREDDIN SEHWEIL.  A 
MAJOR CONTRACTING COMPANY IN ABU DHABI IS OWNED BY A 
PALESTINIAN JORDANIAN, MUNTHER FARAH.  THE PALESTINIAN 
BUSINESS COUNCIL WAS ESTABLISHED ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO AND 
HAS SINCE BEEN ACTIVE IN COLLECTING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM 
PALESTINIAN BUSINESS PEOPLE, AND ENHANCING BUSINESS TIES 
BETWEEN THE UAEG AND THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (PA).  THE 
COUNCIL ALSO HOSTS VISITING OFFICIAL PALESTINIAN FIGURES, 
SUCH AS PA PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS, WHO VISITED THE UAE 
LAST FEBRUARY.  ACCORDING TO A COUNCIL MEMBER, 60-70% OF 
PALESTINIAN BUSINESS IN THE UAE IS IN THE CONTRACTING 
FIELD, FOLLOWED BY 7-10% IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FIELD, 
AND ANOTHER 7-10% IN THE MEDICAL SUPPLY FIELD.  SOME OF THE 
PALESTINIAN HIGH ROLLERS ARE: PALESTINIAN JORDANIAN RIYAD 
AL-ASSADI, OWNER OF A MAJOR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY; 
PALESTINIAN JORDANIAN SAMI SULEIMAN, UNTIL RECENTLY A 
MANAGER AND PARTNER OF THE GROCERY STORE CHAIN "SPINNEYS"; 
PALESTINIAN JORDANIAN NASSER ODEH, OWNER OF ANOTHER LARGE 
CONSTRUCTION COMPANY; AND RIAD AL-SADEK, WHO NOW HAS 
EMIRATI CITIZENSHIP (PREVIOUSLY HELD A LEBANESE PASSPORT) 
AND IS A BUSINESS PARTNER OF REGIONAL EMIRATI BUSINESS 
MAGNATE KHALAF AL-HABTOOR. 
 
FUNDRAISING - A PRIMARY SOCIAL OUTLET 
----------------------------------------- 
¶12. (SBU) MOST PALESTINIANS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE WELL 
ESTABLISHED IN THE UAE, ARE INVOLVED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER 
IN FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES TO BENEFIT PALESTINIANS OR 
PALESTINIAN CAUSES.  MANY BECAME WELL FIXED FINANCIALLY 
AFTER MIGRATING TO THE GULF.  PALESTINIAN EMIRATI, LAILA AL- 
HASSAN, WIFE OF YOUSEF AL-HASSAN(SEE PARA 3), IS AN ACTIVE 
PROMOTER OF FUNDRAISERS.  PALESTINIAN JORDANIAN MOHAMED 
HIRZALLAH, OWNER OF A MAJOR SHIPPING COMPANY, IS ALSO A 
VERY ACTIVE CONTRIBUTOR TO CHARITY AND FUNDRAISING EVENTS. 
WELL-TO-DO PALESTINIAN WOMEN OVER 40 OFTEN BELONG AND 
CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY TO SOCIAL ASSOCIATIONS.  BASHAYER, A 
CHRISTIAN PALESTINIAN ALL-WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION, HAS BEEN 
ACTIVE IN BRINGING SPEAKERS TO ADDRESS WEST BANK ISSUES. 
BASHAYER ALSO HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN CHARITY AND FUNDRAISING 
ACTIVITIES.  AL-QUDS (JERUSALEM) OPEN UNIVERSITY HAS AN 
OFFICE IN THE UAE AND HAS ALSO BEEN ACTIVE IN ORGANIZING 
CHARITY DINNERS UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF SHEIKH NAHYAN. 
ANOTHER UAE-BASED PALESTINIAN ORGANIZATION, MIN USRA LI 
USRA (LITERALLY "FROM ONE FAMILY TO ANOTHER"), IS ACTIVE IN 
ORGANIZING FUND RAISING EVENTS IN THE COUNTRY, SUCH AS 
CHARITY DINNERS, RAMADAN IFTARS AND PALESTINIAN 
THEATRICALS.  IN MAY 2006, THE ORGANIZATION ARRANGED FOR A 
POPULAR PALESTINIAN PLAY ENTITLED "A PALESTINIAN 
NEIGHBORHOOD: STORIES FROM UNDER THE OCCUPATION," TO BE 
PERFORMED IN ABU DHABI AND THE NORTHERN EMIRATES.  (NOTE: 
UAE LAW REQUIRES THAT ALL FUNDRAISING BE APPROVED BY THE 
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS.  THE UAEG HAS STIPULATED THAT 
INTERNATIONAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS BE FUNNELED THROUGH 
ONE OF THREE QUASI-GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES.  IT IS UNCLEAR IF 
ALL OF THE ABOVE-REFERENCED FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES COMPLY 
WITH ESTABLISHED UAEG REGULATIONS. END NOTE.) 
 
COMMENT: 
------- 
¶13. (SBU) PALESTINIAN EXPATRIATES IN THE UAE EXPRESS 
MODERATE POLITICAL LEANINGS AS EVIDENCED BY THEIR SUBDUED 
REACTION TO THE HAMAS VICTORY IN THE JANUARY 2006 
PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS.  THOUSANDS HAVE PROSPERED HERE, 
BENEFITING FROM THE STRONG ECONOMY AND FAVORABLE TREATMENT 
BY THE UAE GOVERNMENT.  UNWILLING TO JEOPARDIZE THEIR 
RESIDENCY STATUS, PALESTINIANS IN THE UAE WILL CONTINUE TO 
PURSUE ECONOMIC GOALS, ALONG WITH FUNDRAISING FOR 
PALESTINIAN CAUSES, WHILE FOR THE MOST PART KEEPING THEIR 
POLITICS TO THEMSELVES. 
 
SISON