VZCZCXRO2500
PP RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHDIR
DE RUEHRH #0860/01 1811349
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 301349Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1071
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 000860 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/FO (AMBASSADOR FELTMAN) 
DEPT FOR NEA/PDD (AGNEW, BENZE); NEA/ARP (STEINFELD, 
HARRIS, BLONG) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO PREL SCUL KWMN KISL KMPI SA
SUBJECT: DEPUTY MINISTER NOURA AL-FAIZ:  AMBITIONS, 
EXPECTATIONS, AND REALITY 
 
REF: A. RIYADH 302 
     ¶B. RIYADH 798 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary and comment:  Stinging media criticism of 
Noura Al-Faiz, Deputy Minister for Girls' Education, reflects 
the anxieties of Saudis -- especially women -- whose hopes 
were raised by Ms. Faiz's Valentine's Day appointment as the 
first Saudi female at Deputy Minister rank.  Her ongoing 
search for a coherent strategy to reform girls' education 
filters into the Saudi media as insecurity and a lack of 
leadership.  Although many influential Saudis admire her 
talents and tenacity and caution against a rush to judgment, 
Ms. Faiz's public missteps underscore the enormous challenges 
facing any would-be educational reformer in Saudi Arabia. 
End summary and comment. 
 
IF SHE OPENS THE DOOR TOO MUCH, 
THE WIND WILL BLOW HER OVER 
 
¶2. (U) Ms. Faiz's unveiled face -- published by a Saudi 
newspaper announcing the new Council of Ministers -- caused 
uproar amongst traditional Saudis concerned about their own 
daughters' keenness to follow her lead.  To defuse the 
scandal, which broke within days of her appointment, Ms. 
Al-Faiz swore ignorance of the picture's source while later 
emphasizing her family's Nejdi roots (the Kingdom's 
conservative heartland encompassing Riyadh), which in turn 
disappointed Saudi progressives looking for a national 
leader.  Ms. Al-Faiz created headlines months later by 
declaring herself more influential than President Obama (her 
profile came before his in the Time 100 Most Influential 
People list), then reversing her position on introducing 
physical education for girls (initially she said it was "way 
too early"), and finally meekly announcing her refusal to 
appear on television "unless it is allowed for us to do so." 
As ambivalent as her public persona has been, however, 
Mission contacts familiar with the considerable obstacles 
ahead of her stress the fact that Ms. Al-Faiz stands alone 
and must choose her battles wisely. 
 
GIRLS' EDUCATION AS A HISTORICAL 
BASTION OF CONSERVATISM 
 
¶3. (U) The Ministry of Education's (MOE) 1953 establishment 
coincided with the opening of boys' schools in Saudi Arabia. 
In contrast, public education for girls was introduced in the 
early 1960's, and remained relatively autonomous and 
overwhelmingly conservative-controlled through the turn of 
the century.  In fact, not until the tragic 2002 Mecca fire 
that killed 15 schoolgirls did the Saudi Arabian government 
merge the separate Presidency of Girls Education into the 
MOE.  In February 2005, Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Obaid, a former 
head of the World Muslim League with strong religious 
credentials, was named Minister of Education to oversee the 
integration of girls' education within the MOE.  Neither 
Prince Faisal bin Abdullah, who replaced Al-Obeid in February 
2009 (see ref B), nor Ms. Al-Faiz enjoys the same legitimacy 
within traditional circles.  The Deputy Minister has started 
wearing a veil, perhaps reckoning that concessions such as 
this will purchase her some credibility. 
 
WINNING OVER THE KINGDOM'S TEACHERS 
AND REGIONAL DIRECTORS 
 
¶4. (U) According to the MOE website, Ms. Al-Faiz directs 
16,875 schools, 226,281 teachers, and 2,496,349 female 
students.  The 102 schools and 10,000 new female teachers the 
MOE plans to add this year far exceed the 100 trainers and 
1,000 students she oversaw as director of women's training at 
the Institute for Public Administration (IPA), where she 
built her reputation.  When teachers called recently for 
reforming the school assignment policy, Ms. Al-Faiz advised 
the unhappy ones to retire or resign, displaying 
insensitivity towards the long commutes that often lead to 
traffic fatalities.  Meanwhile, at the regional level Ms. 
Al-Faiz must overcome gender segregation to engage the 42 men 
directing the Kingdom's 42 male education directorates, which 
Post contacts report effectively run female education as well 
despite the presence of titular women counterparts.  Rather 
than tackling this structural problem from the outset, 
however, Ms. Al-Faiz has praised the regional directors as 
"creative and innovative" and rejected calls for their 
replacement.  At the same time, female education officials 
are gaining prominence:  On June 28th the male Director 
General of Girls Education in the Riyadh region announced the 
appointment of four women as office directors and deputy 
directors within the MOE. 
 
RIYADH 00000860  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
CASH IS GREAT, BUT LEADERSHIP EVEN BETTER 
 
¶5. (SBU) King Abdullah's increases in education funding at 
all levels and a building binge for women's facilities, 
together with his placement of accomplished and trusted 
reformers in crucial MOE leadership positions, highlight the 
fundamental role educational reform plays in his vision for 
Saudi Arabia's future.  Nevertheless, bold leadership at Ms. 
Al-Faiz's level and below is necessary to overcome massive 
bureaucratic resistance to change, whether driven by ideology 
or laziness. 
 
ERDMAN