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DE RUEHDH #0219/01 2311140
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 191140Z AUG 09
FM AMCONSUL DHAHRAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0243
INFO RUEHZM/GCC C COLLECTIVE
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 0219
RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH PRIORITY 0042
RUEHDH/AMCONSUL DHAHRAN 0323

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAHRAN 000219 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PLEASE PASS TO NEA/ARP JEREMY BERNDT AND JOSHUA HARRIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  8/19/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON KIRF KISL KDEM SA
SUBJECT: SHIA BUSINESS LEADERS MAKE A STRONG SHOWING IN AL-AHSA 
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ELECTIONS 
 
DHAHRAN 00000219  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Kevin Kreutner, Acting Consul General, EXEC, DOS. 
 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
SUMMARY 
 
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¶1. (SBU) In the July 25 al-Ahsa Chamber of Commerce elections, 
Shia candidates won five of the eight eligible board positions, 
with the remaining three going to Sunnis.  In the previous 
elections in 2005, the ratio was the reverse in favor of Sunni 
candidates.  One of the Shia victors attributed this shift to 
the increased organizational efforts among the Shia candidates 
and a procedural change in the voting regulations.  He also 
attributed his desire and effort to run in the election to his 
participation in a USG-sponsored visitor program in 2007.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
THE AL-AHSA OASIS 
 
----------------- 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) Al-Ahsa is an oasis about 60 kilometers inland from the 
Persian Gulf with a population of approximately 1 million 
residents, 50% - 60% estimated to be Shia and the rest Sunni. 
The agricultural industry is the most important economic sector 
of al-Ahsa, as it has access to large underground water aquifers 
(which have incidentally been substantially depleted in recent 
decades). 
 
 
 
AL-AHSA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 
 
--------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) The al-Ahsa Chamber of Commerce consists of twelve 
board members, eight of whom are elected.  The other four 
members are appointed by the Ministry of Commerce.  In the 
previous elections, which took place in 2005, five Sunni 
candidates and three Shia candidates were elected.  The Ministry 
then appointed three Shia and one Sunni board member, resulting 
in a 50/50 split along sectarian lines.  However, the chamber 
has not had a good reputation over the past four years as being 
effective or addressing the needs of the business community. 
PolOff has heard these criticisms from both Shia and Sunni 
business people from al-Ahsa and other parts of the Eastern 
Province. 
 
 
 
CHAMBER VOTING REGULATIONS BENEFIT SHIA 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶4. (C) Sadek al-Ramadan (strictly protect), a Shia business 
leader and political activist in al-Ahsa, won a seat in the 
al-Ahsa Chamber of Commerce elections on July 25.  In an August 
17 meeting, al-Ramadan told PolOff that the 2009 elections 
resulted in five Shia and three Sunni winners, a reversal of the 
previous election where Sunnis won five seats and Shia three. 
When asked what caused this shift, he noted that a change in 
voting regulations may have been partially responsible.  In 
previous elections, registered members of the chamber voted 
eight times, one for each available seat.  However, this led to 
candidates forming alliances of eight candidates who campaigned 
as a block.  Generally, all eight members of the alliance would 
win all eight eligible seats, pushing out independent 
candidates. 
 
 
 
¶5. (C) Al-Ramadan explained that this alliance would only allow 
two or three Shia candidates to campaign on their "ticket," 
thereby effectively limiting the number of Shia that could 
plausibly win.  This year, however, the voting regulations were 
modified, and each registered member could only cast two 
at-large votes, which broke up the possibility of creating an 
alliance.  This increased the chance for independent candidates 
to win a seat regardless of their affiliation with the alliance. 
 (NOTE:  The appointed board members have not yet been chosen by 
 
DHAHRAN 00000219  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
the ministry.  END NOTE.) 
 
 
 
SHIA BUSINESS LEADERS MOBILIZE 
 
------------------------------ 
 
 
 
¶6. (C) Al-Ramadan explained that another reason for the 
Sunni-Shia shift in the election results was due to increased 
organization and voter mobilization efforts on the part of the 
Shia business leaders.  The Shia business leaders aggressively 
lobbied the eligible Shia voters (registered members of the 
chamber), who, according to al-Ramadan, make up 38% of the 
total.  They focused on getting people out to vote and 
approximately 1,200 people voted, twice the amount expected. 
Al-Ramadan attributes this large turnout and its 
disproportionately high ratio of Shia participants to be the 
other key factor in securing a substantial gain in elected Shia 
board members in the chamber. 
 
 
 
¶7. (C) In September 2007, al-Ramadan participated in a 
PD-sponsored International Visitor program to the U.S. with 
several other Shia political activists from the Eastern 
Province.  He told PolOff, "If I did not go to the U.S., I would 
not have run in the election."  He realized after visiting U.S. 
civic leaders and institutions that his sect is not "empowered" 
in Saudi Arabia.  "I did not know what empowered meant," 
al-Ramadan explained, "but now I know it's the most important 
thing for my community." 
 
 
 
COMMENT 
 
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¶8. (C) The newly elected board members of the al-Ahsa Chamber of 
Commerce, like al-Ramadan, should bring new energy and ideas to 
a struggling business institution.  Its reputation as an 
ineffective chamber of commerce is well known in the Eastern 
Province.  The Mayor of al-Ahsa, Fahad bin Mohammed al-Jubair, 
has taken great strides in revitalizing the rundown 
infrastructure and buildings in al-Ahsa and is keen on 
invigorating the local economy.  He would likely welcome and 
support a proactive and effective chamber.  END COMMENT. 
KREUTNER