VZCZCXRO2776
RR RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHDIR
DE RUEHJI #0300/01 2261530
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141530Z AUG 09
FM AMCONSUL JEDDAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1472
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 8461
RUEHDH/AMCONSUL DHAHRAN 0098
RUEAHLC/DHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 JEDDAH 000300 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/ARP (HARRIS), NEA/PPD (AGNEW,BENZE), ECA/A/E 
(SWENSON), ECA/A/E/NEA (IVES) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CVIS ECON ENIV KPAO OEXC PGOV SA SOCI
SUBJECT: SAUDI SUMMER CAPITAL OF TAIF EAGER TO ENGAGE 
 
REF: JEDDAH 225 
 
JEDDAH 00000300  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: In meetings with Charge on August 8, 
the Governor and Mayor of Taif and the President of Taif 
University (the site of recent protests by rejected 
female applicants) invited U.S. participation and 
investment in their ambitious plans to develop tourism, 
technology, manufacturing, and education in the former 
summer capital of Saudi Arabia. The Governor commented 
that security is excellent in Taif although illegal 
immigrants are a problem.  Saudi interlocutors welcomed 
the move to 5-year visas but expressed frustration with 
impediments to traveling to the United States. End summary. 
 
Seeking U.S. investment in developing Taif 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) In August 8 meetings with Charge (Ambassador 
Erdman), Consul General, Poloff, PDoff and USCSoff, 
political and academic leaders in the mountain city of 
Taif (pop. 1,350,000) two hours east of Jeddah, 
outlined ambitious plans to expand tourism, 
manufacturing, and education in the former summer 
capital of Saudi kings.  Governor Fahad Abdulaziz Al 
Moaamer, a graduate of Whittier University (CA), 
quoting Mecca Governor Prince Khalid Al Faisal, said 
'We want to be in the first world, not in the back." 
To attract business, the government is distributing 
land in Taif to investors -- both Saudi and 
Saudi-foreign joint ventures -- through its Tourism 
Board and upgrading its infrastructure.  A spectacular 
new road to Jeddah opened in July 2009, and there are 
plans to build a new international airport and medical 
facility.  While acknowledging a current deficit in 
water supplies, the Governor said a new desalination 
plant (120,000 liters per day) will come on line in 
five months and is expected to meet water needs for 
the next several years. Taif Mayor Mohammed Abdulaziz 
Al-Mokharrij commented that the influx of migrants 
from villages is placing great strain on water 
supplies and agreed with Charge that heavy 
subsidization of water and electricity prices encourages 
unnecessary consumption. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Inviting U.S. investment in Taif, the Governor 
declared, "We need everything" -- especially modern 
techniques and technology, computers, and equipment. 
Noting Taif's role as a center for fruit production, 
Charge recalled his experience as ambassador in 
Algeria, where strawberry production and quality had 
been significantly increased by using U.S. seeds, and 
offered to put local authorities in touch with 
California-based firms who were leaders in 
agro-industry.  Mokharrij, an impressive University 
of Arizona graduate with an advanced degree from 
Harvard in urban planning and land-use, emphasized 
his interest in protecting the environment by 
developing light industry, tourism, and medical 
services, rather than opting for heavy industry. 
Agriculture, historically Taif's main industry, has 
been harsh on the environment, depleting the city's 
aquifers.  Governor and Mayor expressed eagerness 
to expand tourism in Taif, a popular summer destination 
because of the cooler temperatures (10-15 degrees F 
lower than Jeddah) due to the high elevation 
(5,600 ft), encouraged U.S. investment in this area, 
and hoped U.S. organizations such as the Smithsonian 
would bring tour groups to Taif so that visitors can 
see how Saudi Arabia has been developed. Charge 
suggested that, realistically, they should be looking 
at boutique tourism.  Subsequent discussion with 
tourism sector officials indicated that response to 
the region's ambitious plans to attract tourism 
investment has been minimal, in part because it is 
such a seasonal industry. 
 
Infrastructure protection and terrorist rehab 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Charge noted U.S.-Saudi cooperation on 
critical infrastructure protection in the Kingdom 
 
JEDDAH 00000300  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
and asked if there are infrastructure facilities 
in Taif that will be involved in this program. 
The Governor responded that the most important 
facility was Taif airport, which was also the 
location of one of the country's most important 
air bases. There are also schools for military 
families and munition storage facilities, he 
said, hastening to note that so far there have 
been no major security issues in Taif.  Security, 
in fact, is excellent in Taif and conditions have 
improved as Saudis have become more knowledgeable 
and moved "from darkness into light."  In this 
regard, he said the Saudi rehabilitation program 
has "successfully re-educated" many home-grown 
terrorist detainees. 
 
Illegal workers cause strain 
----------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Taif officials are eager to locate and 
provide jobs for the city's youth population. 
The Governor conceded that Taif's young people 
are moving to larger cities because local 
employment opportunities are limited to tourism, 
farming, and small factories.  While most 
employees at local businesses are Saudi, 
technicians and engineers tend to come from 
outside the Kingdom.  At the same time as Taif's 
young people are moving to Jeddah, Mecca, and 
Riyadhto study and work, illegal migrant workers 
rom Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia -- 
including many Hajj and Umrah overstayers -- are 
finding their way through the mountains to Taif 
in search of work.  Al Moaamer added that some 
of these migrants die in the mountains en route 
while others are detained and deported. 
Considering the 900-1,000 kilometers separating 
Taif from Yemen, the Governor did not see Yemeni 
migrants as a major problem, especially since 
Taif's tribes are culturally different from the 
Saudi tribes in the Asir region. 
 
Taif University -- Inability to accommodate 
demand led to recent protests by women 
------------------------------------------- 
 
6.(SBU) With recent disturbances over admissions 
decisions at Taif University in mind, Charge asked 
the Governor whether there is greater demand than 
available places at the university.  The Governor 
uneasily acknowledged there is a shortage of spaces 
but declined to elaborate.  (Note:  The rare, early 
August demonstrations at the university were by 
Saudi women protesting the turning away of female 
applicants on university admissions day. 
Abaya-clad demonstrators, clashing with female 
security guards, alleged corruption in the admissions 
process, claiming that the administration admitted fewer 
qualified applicants and closed admissions before the 
official registration date.)  Officials indicated only 
one third of Taif University's 32,000 students are female, 
compared to about 58 percent kingdom-wide, a disparity the 
Governor attributed to the fact that most Saudi women choose 
to study at Mecca's nearby Umm Al Qura University. 
 
 
University's expanding role and operations 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Officials explained that as part of the city's 
development plan, Taif University is building a new facility 
to house 75,000-80,000 students and to expand from 17 to 37 
colleges (departments or "faculties").  To cope with the 
 rapid expansion, the university hires foreign professors 
and actively recruits Saudis with doctorates by offering 
competitive compensation packages and incentives for living 
in the provincial environment of Taif.  The university 
currently employs 15 American professors, most of whom 
are Arabic speakers -- 10 in the Computer Science 
department alone.  The Rector and his senior staff, 
all U.S., Canadian, or UK educated, expressed eagerness 
 
JEDDAH 00000300  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
to develop links to U.S. universities in the fields of 
science, technology, and medicine -- the disciplines most 
desired by students due to better job prospects after 
graduation. (In this regard, the Rector acknowledged that 
many students have difficulties finding jobs following 
graduation.) 
Social sciences, politics and humanities are regarded 
as more "sensitive" areas, with correspondingly less 
attention paid to their development. 
 
¶8. (SBU)  The Rector and his senior staff said Taif 
University 
has signed cooperation agreements with several U.S. 
institutions, 
including Wayne State University, University of Florida, 
and Minnesota State University.  University President 
Abdulelah Banaja expressed interest in programs by the 
Consulate visa officer and education advisor to present 
opportunities for study in the U.S. and indicated that 
he would consider Fulbright, academic specialist, English 
teaching and other exchanges.  Banaja said that almost 250 
Taif University graduates went to the United States, Britain, 
Canada or Australia for post-graduate studies during the 
past year.  The head of the Computer Science 
department, recently returned after 18 years in the U.S.. 
In recent years, noted the U.K.-educated Rector, many Saudi 
students began applying to UK universities because the 
application, admission, and visa processes are so much 
simpler and easier than for study at American universities. 
This was unfortunate, in his and his colleagues' view, 
because they regard the U.S. education system as superior 
and want the university's staff to be U.S.-educated and able 
to apply U.S. teaching techniques, methods, and philosophies 
to Taif University. 
 
¶9. (SBU) With critiques of the Saudi education system as 
being too focused on Arabic and Islamic studies at the 
expense of hard sciences, Charge asked if incoming students 
in the science and technology areas are sufficiently 
prepared. 
The Rector and his senior staff said entering students in 
 the areas of science and medicine are generally not well 
prepared in these areas.  For this reason, a required 
foundation year of math, science, and technology courses 
has been incorporated into the curriculum.  Asked if there 
 are obligatory religion courses for students, the Rector 
said all students study Shariah for two of the eight 
mandatory class hours each year.  According to one dean, 
the university plans to offer a non-Shariah legal degree 
as an alternative to the Shariah law program. The university 
has approximately 200 full-time Shariah law students. 
 
Continuing complaints about U.S. visas and airport inspections 
--------------------------------------------- ----------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) Several interlocutors complained about the 
difficulty of getting visas to the U.S. and their treatment 
at U.S. airports. "We used to travel to the United States 
just like we were Americans," lamented the Governor, last in 
the U.S. eight years ago, but "then (post 9/11) we couldn't 
go after that."  Charge acknowledged there had been serious 
problems and that some problems remain, but said we are 
actively 
addressing them. In the meantime, the situation has 
substantially 
improved, with 50 percent of visa applications for Saudi 
citizens 
approved in less than one week and 82 percent approved in a 
month 
or less.  The move to 5-year validity for visas is also a 
major 
improvement, to which the professors readily agreed.  While 
we 
try to give priority to students, so they don't miss the 
beginning 
of the academic year, Charged urged that Saudis intending to 
travel 
 to the United States should apply for appointments as early 
as possible. 
At lunch, a U.S.-educated administrator recounted that when 
his two sons 
 
JEDDAH 00000300  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
 traveled to the U.S. to attend university, his American-born 
son 
 entered without delay while the Saudi-born son was detained 
at 
Washington Dulles Airport for six hours, missing his 
connecting 
flight. Other university faculty members expressed worry 
about 
Saudis "always being required to spend hours at the airport 
filling out forms and submitting to questioning." 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) Taif officials welcome cooperation with U.S. 
businesses 
 and academic institutions in the sectors targeted for 
development -- tourism, technology, manufacturing, education. 
 
Some areas remain off-limits, however, such as the social 
sciences 
at the university.  Their stated enthusiasm may have been 
driven 
in part by the support of Mecca Region Governor Khalid Al 
Faisal 
 for the American-Saudi Arabian Culture & Commerce Festival 
in Taif 
in May 2009 (reftel).  Post's Taif visit underscored the 
importance 
of educating Arab students in the United States, since the 
Saudis 
most conspicuously eager to work and cooperate with us were 
all 
products of North American universities.  End comment. 
 
¶11. (U) Ambassador Erdman has cleared this message. 
QUINN