VZCZCXRO9104
PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHAD #1852/01 3101314
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 061314Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9991
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ABU DHABI 001852 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL SCUL KMPI KDEM AE
SUBJECT: FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH,S VISIT TO UAE SCORES PUBLIC 
DIPLOMACY VICTORY, LAUNCHES BREAST CANCER CAMPAIGN 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (U) In an historic October 21-23 visit to the United Arab 
Emirates, First Lady of the United States Laura Bush scored a 
public diplomacy victory while helping to launch the first 
nation-wide UAE campaign for breast cancer awareness.  Mrs. 
Bush was hosted for a gala luncheon by the "Mother of the 
Nation" Sheikha Fatima and witnessed the eagerness of UAE 
officials to share their views on the country,s social 
progress while highlighting women,s education, the Middle 
East Partnership Initiative, and breast cancer awareness. 
The excellent cooperation which the U.S. enjoys with the UAE 
was reinforced and expanded by the First Lady's visit, during 
the course of which a Memorandum of Understanding/licensing 
agreement was signed between the Komen Foundation for the 
Cure and the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi.  Mrs. Bush also 
participated in the U.S.-UAE business launch of &Making it 
our Business8 workplace awareness campaign in Dubai.  End 
summary. 
 
Impact of Visit 
--------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) First Lady Laura Bush's visit to Abu Dhabi and 
Dubai drew attention to a disease which, until now, has to a 
large degree been concealed in a veil of shame and secrecy. 
Simultaneous to the visit was a UAEG campaign to educate 
women about breast cancer and to raise awareness in a 
conservative Muslim society where victims of the disease are 
sometimes abandoned by their husbands and their daughters may 
be considered unmarriable.  Mrs. Bush lent her voice to an 
historic campaign aimed at educating women in order to save 
their lives. 
 
¶3.  (U) The awareness campaign has already been effective.  A 
husband who heard a breast cancer awareness campaign ad on 
the radio urged his wife to do a self-exam.  In doing so, she 
found a lump and went to the doctor the following day.  She 
indeed had cancer, but because of this early detection and 
available treatment facilities, she had likely saved her own 
life.  Another story featured in the local press tells of a 
husband who shaved his head to show support for his wife who 
had lost her hair while undergoing chemotherapy.  The UAEG 
campaign was heavily promoted in the press and marketed 
throughout the emirates through free-standing, pink booths in 
malls and major supermarkets where educational pamphlets are 
distributed and appointments made for free mammograms.  A 
breast cancer walk was also held October 22 along the Abu 
Dhabi Corniche, where pink banners and majlis-style tents 
were installed along the entire pathway.  Hundreds of 
national women in black abayas adorned with pink marched 
followed by supporters:  sons, husbands, and fathers. 
Expatriates joined the walk as well, but the event was 
significant for the number of Emirati nationals participating. 
 
Highlights of Abu Dhabi Visit 
----------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The First Lady,s schedule began with a 
conversation October 22 with twelve young female university 
students from across the UAE, who had attended USG programs 
such as MEPI,s Student Leadership and Women in Technology 
programs, as well as State/ECA,s International Visitor 
programs.  Students were enthusiastic and broached issues 
such as shared values and how visiting the U.S. had 
completely changed their perspectives on America.  The First 
Lady agreed that more exchanges and joint programs are 
necessary to build mutual understanding between our two 
cultures.  Students were visibly affected by the warmth of 
and interest from the First Lady, and offered to talk to and 
encourage other students hoping to visit the U.S. 
 
¶5.  (U) PINK MAJLIS AT SHEIKH KHALIFA MEDICAL CITY:  Created 
by Dr. Trish Snozyk and her staff, the concept of the "Pink 
Majlis" was a culturally acceptable setting for women to 
gather and share stories of cancer survival.  Breast cancer 
survivors shared their stories with Mrs. Bush inside the 
privacy of the majlis tent, custom-made of bright pink fabric 
and hanging flowers.  After the event, several of the women 
wept as they thanked Embassy staff for providing the chance 
for Mrs. Bush to lend her voice to this very personal and 
often devastating issue.  In a country where cultural stigma 
often prevent early treatment, thus making the majority of 
cases which come before doctors already at advanced stages of 
the disease, Mrs. Bush's visit to the Pink Majlis propelled 
the issue to a new level of exposure, providing unprecedented 
assistance to previously silent victims.  (Note:  SKMC is 
managed by the U.S.-based Cleveland Clinic.  End note.) 
 
ABU DHABI 00001852  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Mrs. Bush also witnessed a signing ceremony for an 
MOU between the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure and 
the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi deepening U.S.-UAE 
partnership on breast cancer awareness.  The event was widely 
covered by UAE and U.S. press and was attended by Robin 
Roberts of ABC's "Good Morning America" and Greta Van 
Susteren of FOX News, who interviewed Mrs. Bush during the 
visit. 
 
¶7.  (U) Both the Pink Majlis and the university event 
demonstrated the energy and dedication of Emirati women 
taking on social issues with vigor and a vision of the future 
they seek for their country, as well as a sense of 
appreciation for the First Lady's boost to their efforts. 
 
Sheikha Fatima Hosts Luncheon 
----------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Kitbi, the late 
President Sheikh Zayed's widow and "Mother of the Nation," 
hosted a luncheon for Mrs. Bush at her splendid Bahar (Sea) 
Palace.  Sheikha Fatima's invitation epitomized the keen 
interest of the First Lady's Emirati hosts in joining the 
efforts of women in the U.S. to promote a public campaign 
against breast cancer.  Also in attendance at the lunch were 
22 members of the Higher National Committee for Breast Cancer 
Control and nine female representatives from the UAE,s 
Federal National Council. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) First Lady Laura Bush praised Sheikha Fatima's 
continued support for all projects concerning women.  Sheikha 
Fatima,s support has given a tremendous boost to 
coordination among many different organizations working 
together on the breast cancer partnership.  She and Mrs. 
Bush, with their emphasis on the expansion of the U.S.-UAE 
partnership, have deepened (and will continue to bolster) 
efforts to engage women throughout the region on projects 
highlighting their economic empowerment and civic 
participation in health initiatives. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Other prominent women the First Lady met while in 
Abu Dhabi included:  Minister of Economy Sheikha Lubna bint 
Khalid al-Qassimi, Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan (wife of Abu 
Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed), Sheikha 
Alyazia bint Seif (wife of Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah 
bin Zayed), Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan (wife of Deputy Prime 
Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed), Sheikha Manal bint 
Mohammed bin Rashid (wife of Minister for Presidential 
Affairs Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed), Chair of the Higher 
National Committee on Breast Cancer Dr. Omniyat al Hajeri, 
and head of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce Businesswomen's 
Council Dr. Rowda al Mutawa. 
 
Dubai Events 
------------ 
 
¶11.  (SBU) In a well-attended October 22 event hosted by the 
Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), the First 
Lady, accompanied by HRH Princess Haya bint Hussein, wife of 
UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Dubai Ruler Mohammed 
bin Rashid al Maktoum, recounted the launching of the 
U.S.-Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and 
Research one year prior and spoke on the gains in women's 
health made over time in the U.S. and the UAE.  Citing a 
growing recognition that corporate social responsibility 
should include health issues, the First Lady announced the 
&Making it Our Business8 breast cancer workplace awareness 
program.  She commended the 11 leading U.S. and UAE companies 
in Dubai that have signed on as &charter members8 to the 
program:  five U.S. firms -- General Motors, General 
Electric, Federal Express, Microsoft, and Johnson & Johnson; 
and six Emirati companies:  leading Dubai parastatals Dubai 
Holdings, Dubai World, and EMAAR, and large local companies 
the Al Tayer Group (Gulf News, Ford, Harvey Nichols); the Al 
Gurg Group (Seimens, Dunlop) and the Al Ghurair Group (the 
Burjuman shopping mall, a longtime breast cancer awareness 
sponsor).  The First Lady pointed out that "being 
compassionate and being profitable goes hand-in-hand" in the 
event.  Princess Haya also spoke about the importance of 
increasing breast cancer awareness in the region. 
 
¶12.  (U) Comment:  Dubai is an economic powerhouse and a 
tolerant regional commercial hub which has consciously sought 
to set a tone of moderation and to encourage modernization in 
the Middle East.  It offers a natural platform for engaging 
companies in the field of breast cancer awareness, playing 
host to a multitude of nationalities and industries.  As 
such, the First Lady,s announcement was an opportunity to 
 
ABU DHABI 00001852  003 OF 003 
 
 
reinforce her message to a diverse and attentive audience. 
The three Dubai parastatals that have signed on to the 
program are among the biggest companies in the Middle East 
and are together the economic driving force in Dubai. 
 
¶13.  The announcement of the &Making it our Business8 
campaign garnered significant positive press, and real 
interest by these Dubai firms in systematic follow-up to 
implement the program.  This extensive media coverage 
dovetailed with recent Dubai efforts to step up corporate 
social responsibility. 
 
Media Coverage 
-------------- 
 
¶14.  (SBU) Media interest was high and coverage was robust. 
Al-Arabiya and CNBC Arabiya attended and reported on the 
press conference.  Other local television situations, 
including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah TV, took and used feed 
from the state media organ, WAM.  Tuesday morning papers each 
had multiple articles spread over multiple pages, with 
numerous pictures from various events.  The tone was positive 
to the point of laudatory.  English language Gulf News banner 
headlined Mrs. Bush,s &tribute8 to one of the cancer 
survivors who participated in the majlis, with an above the 
fold photo from the event.  Semi-official Arabic Al-Ittihad 
daily highlighted the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi-Susan G. 
Komen agreement and declared that &Sheikha Fatima and Laura 
Bush Seek Cooperation Among Women,s Organizations.8  Arabic 
Al-Khaleej,s interior spread bore a triple-headline invoking 
Mrs. Bush, Sheikha Fatima and Princess Haya in a common call 
to increase awareness and combat cancer. 
 
Strengthening Overall Ties 
-------------------------- 
 
¶15.  (SBU) With traditionally strong bilateral ties binding 
the UAE to the U.S. across many fronts, Mrs. Bush,s visit 
scored a public diplomacy victory emphasizing themes of 
friendship, cooperation, and women's education with special 
focus on those who are vulnerable in our societies.  The 
visit highlighted efforts aimed at bringing women's health to 
the forefront of UAE social development efforts. 
 
 
¶16.  (U) This message was cleared by White House staff. 
SISON