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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 JEDDAH 000489 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, EEB/ESC, DRL, INR/OPS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2019 
TAGS: KIRF KPAO PGOV PHUM PINR PREL PTER SA SCUL
SOCI, YM 
SUBJECT: REDISCOVERING SOUTHERN ARABIA: NAJRAN, THE EMIRATE 
OF KING ABDULLAH'S SON PRINCE MISHAL 
 
REF: A. DHAHRAN 258 
     ¶B. RIYADH 482 
     ¶C. STATE 120774 
     ¶D. 06 JEDDAH 738 
 
JEDDAH 00000489  001.2 OF 005 
 
 
Classified By: Consul General Martin R. Quinn for reasons 1.4(b) and (d 
) 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary:  A ConGen visit to the southern Arabia 
emirate of Najran, December 18-19, 2009, revealed a tranquil, 
fertile valley tucked within mountainous terrain, where the 
traditional way of life has remained surprisingly unaffected 
by the recent violence in Yemen, at various points 5-15 km 
from Najran city. Prince Mishal bin Abdullah, the new 
governor, King Abdullah's 6th son, friendly and welcoming, 
seems popular with his people and supportive of U.S. 
interests and engagement, but may be slightly hands-off on 
the running of his jurisdiction. The local government has 
recently made two large infrastructure investments -- a 
completed highway and an in-process university; however, 
population growth combined with water shortages and lack of 
private sector industries have resulted in significant 
unemployment, a government-dependent local society, and a 
need for increased vocational and female employment.  The 
visit provided follow-up opportunities for U.S. business 
interests, cultural/educational outreach and for deepening 
our knowledge of the Shia population.  End summary. 
 
 
MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, FERTILE VALLEY, CONSERVATIVE SOCIETY 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Surrounded by large mountains and rock formations, 
Najran is located in a green valley from 5-15 km north of the 
Yemen border at an elevation of almost 4,000 feet.  Driving 
for 2 hours between Abha and Najran, ConGen officers passed 
small, scattered villages, with several rock quarries and a 
new cement plant along the way.  The town of Najran is not 
conspicuously affluent, but endowed with farmable land and 
some tourist attractions of historical value, such as the 
extensive Al Okhdood archaeological site.  While a general 
impression of picturesque rural poverty registered with us, 
contrary to impressions in earlier reporting from a decade 
ago, we saw no beggars, no vagrants, and no obvious 
manifestations of popular discontent. The emirate's 
population of around 700,000, which doubled over the past 20 
years, pursues a traditional lifestyle, sustaining themselves 
mainly through agriculture, small trade, and mining -- those 
who are not employed by the government. The local mineral 
water bottling factory (owned by Jeddah businessman, 
Stanford-educated Dr. Musallam Musallam, chairman of SKAB) 
has a 30% Saudi work force, most of whom were described as 
biding their time until they find higher-paying, less 
strenuous government jobs.  As a result of dramatic 
population growth and the water shortage, unemployment is 
becoming a problem.  As expected outside the Kingdom's major 
cities, Najran's society is conservative and male-dominated, 
exemplified by our noticing no more than 6 female citizens 
over the course of a two-day visit, whether in the markets, 
on the streets, or in other cars.  Despite the presence of a 
fluent Arabic-speaking female officer as part of our 
delegation, we were able to engage with no Najrani women. 
 
 
LITTLE APPARENT EFFECT OF YEMEN BORDER ISSUES 
 
¶3.  (C) We were surprised by the absence of heightened 
military/security presence so near the Yemen border.  An 
atmosphere of calm and nonchalance prevailed in Najran as its 
citizens went about their daily lives, only dimly aware of 
the action involving the Houthis on the border of neighboring 
Jizan. During our stay, we saw nothing suggesting ongoing 
military activity in Najran or the presence of Yemeni 
refugees; neither did we hear any explosions or gunfire from 
across the Yemeni border. Two Najran interlocutors did 
acknowledge they occasionally, at night, heard sounds of 
explosions coming from a distance, over the mountains (ref 
 
JEDDAH 00000489  002.2 OF 005 
 
 
A).  The only hint of anything out of the ordinary was an 
uninhabited camp consisting of roughly 100 small tents 
observed by the roadside halfway between Abha and Najran, 
near the town of Dhahran Al Jonoub.  We later learned these 
camps were set up as temporary housing for Yemenis crossing 
the border, consistent with the message from Najran 
government officials that they are prepared in case the 
conflict spreads to their region.  Most Najranis with whom we 
spoke, ranging from shopkeepers to businessmen and government 
officials, described life in Najran as unchanged, contrasting 
with the upheaval experienced further west in Jizan. Most 
were dismissive of the suggestion that there had been any 
interruption to the normal course of their quiet lives. 
Additionally, our interlocutors (many of whom were Shia 
themselves), described the Shia sentiment in the region as 
supportive of the Saudi position toward the Houthis.  Prince 
Mishal bin Abdullah, the new governor of Najran since March 
2009, explained the calm as due to the Najran government 
receiving cooperation from the Yemeni border tribes, who have 
helped to keep the Houthis at bay.  Although only 80 km of 
the 1,200 km border is fenced, with the rest guarded by 
roving patrols, the director of the Agricultural Research 
Center remarked that no Yemenis have crossed the border 
looking for work during the past 2 months.  Additionally, 
contacts pointed out that there is much more intermarriage 
between Saudis and Yemenis of the same tribe in the Jizan 
area, leading to increased cross-border traffic, wheeas the 
social ties between Najranis and Yemenisare more distant. 
Due to its relative geographicl isolation as fertile town 
ringed round by mounains, Najran gives the impression of 
supporting aself-sufficient if in-bred culture. 
 
 
PORTRAIT O THE NEW GOVERNOR:  PRINCE MISHAL BIN BDULLAH BIN 
ABDUL AZIZ 
 
¶4.  (C)  Prince Mishal bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, the sixth 
son of King Abdullah with wife Princess Tady bint Mishaan Al 
Faisal Al Jarba, was appointed Governor of Najran in March 
2009, taking over for sixty-two-year-old Prince Mishal bin 
Saud bin Abdul Aziz, who served as governor for 18 years (ref 
B). A young man in his early forties, the new Mishal is 
reportedly far more popular with the citizens of Najran than 
was his predecessor. Two men in Prince Mishal's office who 
also served under the former governor described him as a 
"Governor of the People," consistent with previous reporting 
on Mishal's efforts to improve Najranis' quality of life. 
The prince is reported to have changed most of his immediate 
staff upon arrival, with the exception of the public 
relations department:  Ibrahim Al-Sedran and Majed Aseery, 
our escorts during the visit.  In our conversation with 
Prince Mishal, he projected a friendly, welcoming demeanor, 
good English, and was open to and very interested in all 
forms of increased U.S./Saudi cooperation in his region.  He 
appeared not to be preoccupied with the minutiae of 
day-to-day administration, spoke in generalities, and did not 
volunteer great detail about new initiatives such as the 
Najran Holding Company for creating an industrial city, 
strategies for handling the Yemen issue, or the unemployment 
problem. It appeared to us that day-to-day matters are likely 
handled by his right-hand man and office director, Dr. Sultan 
Muhammed Al Haza'a. 
 
¶5. (C) The Prince was vague about his academic background, 
answering "everywhere" when asked where he studied his 
English, before finally indicating the UK, without specifying 
an institution (though he has no hint of a British accent). 
Born in Riyadh, he spent part of his education in the U.S. 
and UK, before returning to Riyadh to work at MFA, rising to 
a high-level post in the National Guard, and serving as an 
advisor at the Royal Court.  Prince Mishal confessed his 
surprise at his father's appointing him governor of Najran, 
remarking that he had only visited Najran twice before.  Now, 
the prince said, he "loves Najran."  Married in January 2009 
to a distant cousin, Princess Loulouah bint Nawaf bin 
Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, Mishal seems 
 
JEDDAH 00000489  003.2 OF 005 
 
 
well-traveled, specifically mentioning how much he enjoyed 
Las Vegas, while fondly reminiscing about his 8-month tour in 
New York in 2006 representing the SAG at the United Nations. 
(Note: Mishal's father-in-law, Nawaf, is on the board of the 
Football Federation, President of the Amateur Athletic 
Federation, and is active in business. End note.)  Perhaps 
not the best student in his youth, a possible reason for the 
ambiguity, Mishal is well-mannered, supportive of U.S. 
interests, with a good command of English and appears to be 
popular in Najran.  Whether officially encouraged or a 
manifestation of public affection, the new governor's image 
appears everywhere on signboards throughout the city; one 
verbal tribute to him was even painted on a granite 
mountainside. 
 
 
INFRASTRUCTURE: NEW ROAD, NEW UNIVERSITY, OLD DAM, WATER 
SHORTAGES 
 
¶6.  (C)  The government of Najran has made significant 
infrastructure investments recently, exemplified by the new 
four-lane highway connecting Abha and Najran, which in the 
past 5 months has dramatically cut the time needed for the 
300 km trip in half to 2.5 hours, and the new 
multi-billion-riyal Najran University campus project, 
expected to be one of the largest in the the Kingdom upon 
completion in the next five years.  Current student 
enrollment is 16,000 and rising.  We visited the Najran Dam, 
a 277 million SAR ($74 million) project completed in 1982 by 
French engineers as a solution to the flash flood problem 
during annual rains, said to be so intense during the fall 
that schools years ago used to close for a month. Ironically, 
during the nearly three decades since the construction of the 
imposing, 73 meter high dam, Najran has experienced severe 
drought, a fact wryly noted by Najranis conscious of the 
serious water shortage.  As in most of the region, the water 
shortage is a major challenge in Najran, with an economy 
especially dependent on agriculture.  Officials at the Najran 
Agricultural Research Center, an organization aiming to 
improve horticulture technology for food sustainability, 
mainly in the citrus sector, stated that during the years of 
drought Najran's annual demand for water has actually risen 
over three times its annual supply. The Agricultural Center's 
current solution of piping in underground water from the 
Empty Quarter desert appears short-term at best. At worst, 
the effort may further deplete ground water.  According to 
one source, wells which used to strike water at 30-40 meters, 
must now be extended to at least 80 meters. 
 
 
MORE PEOPLE, LESS WATER, FEWER JOBS, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? 
 
¶7.  (C)  The population boom over the past generation, 
coupled with the water shortage and the lack of development 
of any significant industry in Najran, has created a society 
with unemployment problems that is heavily dependent upon the 
government.  Ali Yehia Al Hayani (strictly protect), a member 
of Prince Mishal's public relations department who also 
contributes to "Al Iqtisadia" Arabic daily as a Najran 
stringer, declared that "social change must happen."  His 
monthly salary of 3,000 SAR ($800) as a mid-level civil 
servant is not enough to make ends meet, especially since 50% 
of his salary must pay the rent.  As a result, Ali's wife 
works as a teacher to supplement the family income. 
Moreover, Ali and many of his government colleagues are 
considering taking jobs in Riyadh and Jeddah in the private 
sector since there are no private sector options in Najran. 
One way to combat this problem may be to increase employment 
for women and for Saudis in vocational sectors, huge social 
changes given the conservatism of Najran society.  According 
to Professor Mohammed Ibrahim Al Hassan, UCLA Ph.D. organic 
chemist, former vice rector of King Saud University, and the 
President of the 3-year-old Najran University, 70% of the 
university's students are female, whereas according to Ali Al 
Hayani, Najranis wouldn't even consider sending their 
daughters to universities only a few years ago.  Reportedly 
 
JEDDAH 00000489  004.2 OF 005 
 
 
many local Saudi women are already working in hospitals as 
doctors, nurses and medical technologists.  In addition to 
increased female participation in the work force, and 
broadening the programs of public sector institutions like 
the university, another option to combat unemployment in 
Najran is to have more Saudis work in vocational-level 
employment -- generally a hard sell in Saudi 
"prestige-oriented" society.  Professor Al Hassan stated that 
the 95% rate of high school students matriculating into 
universities is actually a bad thing, as it means that all 
those students will expect to work in high-level, managerial 
jobs and very few as technicians, mechanics and craftsmen. 
 
 
A SMALL GLIMPSE OF DEMOCRACY AND DEBATE THROUGH THE NAJRAN 
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 
 
¶8.  (U)  The Board of the Najran Chamber of Commerce and 
Industry is made up of 12 members, 8 directly elected and 4 
appointed, while the Chamber itself boasts 10,000 members. 
There appears to be a fair level of debate among the board 
members, as was seen through a back-and-forth between 
Chairman Ali Hamad Al Hamrour and a board member on the topic 
of U.S. auto companies during our visit.  Of note were the 
board's concerns over GM's declining presence in the region, 
contrasting reports of GM's failure to provide auto-servicing 
to its customers with those of the more successful Toyota and 
Ford distributors.  The Chamber registered its interest in 
encouraging a U.S. trade delegation to visit Najran.  Members 
also discussed mining's significant role in Najran's economy; 
Najran produces 70% of KSA's granite.  Najran has 
historically mined raw minerals, then shipped the ore to 
China and elsewhere for processing and ultimate sale.  Najran 
is expanding its mining industry to include processing up to 
the final finished product within the region, rather than 
sending it elsewhere.  Impression conveyed is that American 
involvement in mining would be welcome.  Although Najran 
lacks major private-sector industry, there is a market for 
U.S. goods, services and know-how in the sectors of water 
technology, automobiles, mining, furniture and clothing.  We 
heard comments about the low prices and quality of Chinese 
and Singaporean retail goods coupled with a stated desire to 
purchase higher quality, longer lasting American merchandise 
-- if only they were locally available.  Nearest outlets are 
in Abha, 2.5 hours away by car on the new highway. 
 
¶9. (C) Chamber of Commerce board members clearly represent 
the Najran economic elite and were described by one Oklahoma 
University graduate, and failed citrus farmer (1,000 of his 
trees dying due to the water shortage and increased 
salinity), employed since the late 1970s in a salaried 
position at the governorate, as "a lot of rich people with no 
idea about how to invest or spend their money."  This comment 
by our host for the first evening (who then disappeared) was 
one potentially revealing indication of tension between the 
"haves" and the "have nots" of Najran society. 
 
 
A STEP BACK IN TIME -- AL OKHDOOD AND AN ANCIENT GRIEVANCE 
 
¶10.  (U) Of cultural and historic significance in Najran is 
the pre-Islamic archaeological site, Al Okhdood.  Founded in 
the 7th century BC, with a history traceable back 4,000 
years, this 5 km long farming city survived into the 10th 
century AD.  Such was its power and influence along the 
trading/incense route that it is even mentioned in the Quran 
(Surah 85, Al-Buruj) as the site of the reported persecution 
and slaughter (in a trench/pit of fire) of early Najran 
Christians by Dhu Nawas, described as "a cruel Jewish king of 
Yemen." What are believed to be the charred remains of the 
pit were pointed out to us, without great elaboration or any 
attempt to suggest contemporary applications. The Quranic 
reference may be a key reason why the site is being excavated 
as a tourist attraction. School groups regularly tour the 
site, which has been developed since 1986.  Wall carvings, 
coins, shards and other recovered artifacts provide glimpses 
 
JEDDAH 00000489  005.2 OF 005 
 
 
into the social and political conditions of the city before 
the Islamic era.  With the blessing of Prince Sultan bin 
Salman bin Abdul Aziz, the President of the Saudi Commission 
for Tourism and Antiquities, the Commission is currently 
restoring Al Okhdood's center, which includes a fortress and 
mosque, cataloguing and deciphering their finds in a small, 
well-maintained, respectably-appointed museum.  Museum/site 
director, Saleh Mohamed Al Mereih (potential candidate for an 
IVLP program), is a Najran native, receiving bachelor's and 
master's degrees at Riyadh's King Saud University. We were 
informed that the Al Okhdood site attracted 70,000 visitors 
last year, mostly Saudi tourists, who generally stay in the 
city's 22 hotels, only two of which, Holiday Inn and Hyatt, 
can be considered 4-star or better. 
 
 
COMMENT:  FOLLOW-UP OPPORTUNITIES 
 
¶11.  (C)  Comment:  Our 2-year overdue visit to Najran 
resulted in updated contact information, follow-up options, 
and a few surprises.  Expected were the economic problems 
associated with population growth and the water shortage, the 
hospitality of the governor and his staff, and the 
traditional, down-scale nature of life outside major cities. 
We were surprised by the absence of an obvious 
military/security presence given the proximity of the Yemen 
conflict, the fertility of the land, and the efficiency 
achieved by the completion of the new Abha-Najran highway. 
Post will pursue with the Najran Chamber of Commerce the 
possibility of attracting U.S. business to the region and 
with Prince Mishal's office for training in English language 
instruction and a presentation on U.S. educational 
opportunities.  Subsequent visits may shed more light on the 
status, issues and attitudes of Najran's majority Shia 
community.  End comment. 
 
 
QUINN