VZCZCXYZ0030
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRH #2044/01 2751352
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021352Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6676
INFO RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH PRIORITY 9092

UNCLAS RIYADH 002044 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OREP AFIN SA
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE APPROVAL FOR CONGRESSIONAL STAFF 
MEMBER BRADLEY BOWMAN 
 
REF: 2007 STATE 131712 
 
NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION - PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1.  (SBU) The U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia welcomes and 
grants country clearance for Professional Staff Member 
Bradley Bowman from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to 
visit Riyadh from October 26-30, 2007 (reftel). 
 
¶2.  (U) The Mission must directly charge all visit support 
costs.  Country clearance is expressly conditional on advance 
receipt or assurances of complete fiscal data covering all 
support expenses for all visitors and delegation members. 
Please see Para 6 for details. 
 
U.S. Mission support is REQUIRED for all USG travelers to 
Saudi Arabia.  All transportation must be performed in U.S. 
Mission armored vehicles and TDY visitors may only stay in 
RSO-approved lodging.  Please note security requirements in 
Para 8. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Mission Control Officer will be Laura Sheehan, 
Political Attache.  She will meet Mr. Bowman upon arrival and 
transportation will be provided.  Contact numbers are: 
Embassy MSG Post 1 - (966-1) 488-3800, Ext. 4111; Embassy 
Motorpool - (966-1) 488-3800, Ext. 4252; Control Officer 
Office (966-1) 488-3800, Ext. 4673; Fax (966-1) 483-0042; 
Home (966-1) 488-4217; Mobile Phone (966-50) 329-9754 (0 
replaces 966 when dialing within country); and unclassified 
e-mail address: SheehanLEP@state.gov. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Lodging has been arranged within per diem at the 
Intercontinental Hotel for check in on Friday, October 26 and 
check out on Tuesday, October 30.  The confirmation number is 
¶159790.  Credit card or cash is acceptable at local hotels. 
Please be advised that all lodgings have a no show fee of a 
one night stay, and cancellation(s) must be made within 72 in 
advance of arrival.  Please note that the allowance for 
lodging in Riyadh is USD 200.00 and MI&E is USD 98.00 per 
night. 
 
(U) Intercontinental Hotel Details: 
 
Address - 
 
Al Mazaar Street 
PO Box 3636 
Riyadh 11481 
Saudi Arabia 
 
Telephone No. - 
(966-1) 465-5000 
 
FAX No. - 
(966-1) 465-78339 
 
Room Rate including breakfast and service fees (no tax is 
charged in Saudi Arabia) - approximately USD 153.00 per night. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Sponsoring office shall issue visitors a mobile 
phone and provide the number to the Embassy switchboard. 
Please note that travelers are required to have an active 
functioning mobile phone at all times.  Please also note that 
if the traveler has a Blackberry phone, it will work in Saudi 
Arabia. 
 
Standard Advice to Travelers 
---------------------------- 
 
¶6.  Visit Typical Expenses 
 
a.  (U) VIP:  We calculate the average cost per day/per 
person to be approximately USD 428.00 for VIP visitors with a 
special agenda above the rank of Office Director to any post 
in Saudi Arabia.  Actual costs will be charged to the fiscal 
data provided. 
 
(U) Typical costs include, but are not limited to, American 
and Locally Employed Staff's overtime, holiday pay and 
premium pay as applicable, field travel by Embassy personnel, 
transportation costs, vehicle rental, telephone installation 
and service, equipment rental, printing expenses, supplies, 
and any other costs that can be directly attributed to the 
visit. 
 
b.  (U) Operational Support:  Typical costs include overtime 
for Locally Employed Staff, overtime and mileage for motor 
pool if after hours transportation required, cell phone and 
any other costs that can be directly attributed to the visit. 
 
c.  (U) Expeditor Services: TDY personnel requesting 
expeditor services will be charged USD 45.00 or 175 SAR per 
 
person.  This service is to be paid upon arrival at the 
Embassy's travel office.  A receipt will be provided.  Should 
expediting services be requested for departure, this request 
must be made 72 hours in advance if at all possible, and also 
be paid in advance with the Embassy's travel office. 
 
¶7.  TDY of 30 Days or Longer 
 
a.  (SBU) Certification that travelers remaining at post for 
30 days or longer have completed the appropriate, mandatory 
overseas personal security training, prior to arrival at post 
(State 66580, March 25, 2004).  Waivers to this requirement 
may only be granted by the Chief of Mission.  Requests should 
be sent to Charge D'Affaires Michael Gfoeller or Acting 
Deputy Chief of Mission David Rundell. 
 
b.  (U) For TDYers remaining at post over 30 days, there will 
be a charge for ICASS support.  If your sponsoring agency has 
not signed up for ICASS services at post, please be prepared 
to sign a MOU for ICASS support services upon arrival.  The 
agency should provide post with a written authorization, 
generated by the traveler's headquarters, that confirms the 
agency will pay ICASS charges for the TDYer, provide the 
agency ICASS billing code, and authorize the traveler to sign 
the ICASS invoice generated by the TDY module.  Where travel 
is urgent, TDYers should bring this documentation with them 
to ensure there will be no interruption in service.  Post 
will not provide service to a TDYer in excess of 30 days 
without this documentation prior to day 31 of the TDY.  For 
each sponsoring agency that sends a series of TDYers for less 
than 30 days, post will add total TDY days and if the total 
exceeds 30 days, count them as a single TDY. 
 
c.  (U) The Department of State Medical Unit recommends 
vaccination against meningitis for all visitors to Saudi 
Arabia.  All employees, including WAEs and Civil Service 
employees who are in TDY status for more than 60 days 
(cumulatively) in a calendar year, are required to have 
up-to-date medical clearances from the Office of Medical 
Services at Class 1 or Class 2 levels in order to receive 
full State Department medical benefits (3 FAM 1931.3, c, e). 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Security:  As a result of the continuing terrorist 
threat in Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates 
General in Saudi Arabia became one-year unaccompanied posts 
effective August 12, 2004. 
 
(SBU) All incoming personnel (TDY or PCS) must receive an 
RSO-approved security brief prior to or upon arrival.  The 
Control Officer designated in the country clearance cable is 
responsible for ensuring the appropriate brief is obtained. 
For TDY personnel with stays of less than 96 hours and where 
travel is limited to Riyadh with nearly all visit activity 
occurring within the Diplomatic Quarter, an RSO-written brief 
provided in paper or electronic form 
to the visitor by the Control Officer will satisfy the 
requirement.  For all other circumstances, the Control 
Officer must provide the traveler the paper or electronic 
brief before or upon the visitor's arrival, PLUS arrange for 
an appropriate security briefing session with the RSO. 
 
(SBU) Travel is performed only in Embassy vehicles.  Use of 
taxis, private cars, hotel shuttles, and public 
transportation for all travel within the city is not 
authorized. 
 
(SBU) Travelers to Saudi Arabia are advised that their hotel 
rooms and any telephones used may be monitored during their 
stay in the Kingdom.  Travelers should report any unusual 
occurrences to the Embassy or Consulate General RSO. 
 
(U) On December 6, 2004, there was an armed attack on the 
U.S. Consulate in Jeddah, resulting in casualties among the 
non-American staff and damage to Consulate facilities.  Due 
to such targeted attacks against American facilities and 
citizens, resulting in deaths, injuries and kidnappings, and 
the continuing serious threat to their safety while in Saudi 
Arabia, the Department of State continues to warn U.S. 
citizens to defer travel to Saudi Arabia. 
 
(SBU) TDYers are reminded of the potential for further 
terrorist actions against U.S. citizens abroad, including in 
the Persian Gulf region.  USG employees who travel to Saudi 
Arabia are required to follow all security precautions as 
prescribed by the Regional Security Officer (RSO) including 
the use of armored vehicles.  From time to time, the U.S. 
Embassy and Consulates in Saudi Arabia may restrict the 
travel of official Americans or suspend public services 
for security reasons. 
 
(SBU) Although counter-terrorism efforts have succeeded in 
diminishing terrorist capabilities in Saudi Arabia, terrorist 
 
groups continue to target housing compounds, hotels, methods 
of transportation, and commercial establishments where 
Westerners can be found.  Saudi Government facilities are 
also targets as demonstrated by the December 29,2004 
attempted bombing of the Ministry of Interior.  In addition 
to car bombs and armed assaults involving multiple gunmen 
against such facilities, terrorists have also used ambush 
attacks to kidnap and/or assassinate individual Westerners. 
 
(SBU) These incidents argue strongly that U.S. citizens in 
Saudi Arabia should maintain a low profile, keep travel to a 
minimum, vary travel routes and times, and treat any mail 
from unfamiliar sources with suspicion.  American citizens 
are also cautioned to remain alert and aware of their 
surroundings while moving about the city. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The Embassy approves the use of computers, laptops, 
and digital cameras at post in accordance with 12 FAM 600 
established regulations.  Stand-alone use of laptops will be 
allowed with the standard caveat that nothing be connected to 
DOS systems.  Computers, laptops and digital cameras must 
stay outside of CAA areas.  Prior notification of the use of 
cameras must be approved by the RSO.  It should be noted that 
Saudi law, especially as it is interpreted in the capital of 
Riyadh, rigidly controls photography.  We strongly urge 
visitors to avoid taking photographs in any public place 
without the express and prior involvement of the RSO. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Visas:  Visitors are also reminded that valid 
visas for Saudi Arabia are required at all times.  Travelers 
are advised that submitting passports to the Saudi 
authorities that contain Israeli visas or evidence of travel 
to Israel may result in difficulties securing a Saudi visa or 
gaining entry to the Kingdom.  Official travelers to Saudi 
Arabia should request a two-year, multiple-entry visa from 
the nearest Saudi Embassy or Consulate. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Passports:  Visitors are reminded to keep a copy 
of their passport with them at all times while in Saudi 
Arabia as it may be needed for identification.  The original 
should be kept in a safe place. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Prohibited Items:  Strict Islamic law is the 
foundation of the Kingdom's customs and practices.  The norms 
for public behavior are extremely conservative.  Saudi Arabia 
outlaws the importation, sale or use of alcohol in the 
Kingdom, and visitors must not attempt to bring any alcohol, 
pork products or printed materials that may be construed as 
pornographic or proselytizing into the Kingdom.  Penalties 
include confiscation, fines and may extend to denial of entry. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) Drugs:  Saudi Arabia strictly prohibits the 
importation of controlled substances, including narcotics, 
methamphetamines, depressants and hallucinogens).  The 
penalty for violation of this law is death. 
 
(SBU) Prescription drugs in small quantities, clearly 
labeled, should cause no difficulties.  Problems arise when 
they are in large quantities, unlabeled, or lack 
documentation (such as a copy of the prescription), or when 
they are deemed illicit by Saudi authorities.   Many drugs 
sold in nearby countries without a prescription are 
considered illegal here.  Individuals are arrested for 
possession of these drugs. 
 
¶14.  (U) Dress:  While visiting the Kingdom, women and men 
should dress conservatively.  Guidance issued by the Saudi 
Embassy in Washington states that non-Muslim women are not 
required to wear an abayya, but should dress conservatively 
(loose fitting skirts/dresses that fall well below the knee 
with long sleeves and a high neckline) when in public.  This 
is also the position of the U.S. Embassy. 
 
(SBU) However, while Embassy personnel are not required to 
wear the abayya and/or hijaab (scarf) on official business, 
many Western women choose to wear the abayya and hijaab while 
conducting their personal affairs in order to avoid unwanted 
attention and/or harassment by the Mutawwa'in (religious 
police).  Upon request, the Embassy will loan female visitors 
abayyas for the duration of their stay in the Kingdom. 
 
(SBU) It is the policy of the Embassy to support a woman in 
her decision to wear or not wear the abayya and/or hijaab. 
FRAKER