US embassy cable - 99RIYADH4064

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 RIYADH 004064 
 
STATE FOR NEA/PD, NEA/ARP, AND NEA/P; EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES 
FOR PA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS:  PGOV, SOCI, SA 
SUBJECT:  A SAUDI RAMADAN FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM 
 
REFERENCE: (A) 98 RIYADH 04122; (B) JEDDAH 01368 
 
1.  SUMMARY.  RAMADAN IN SAUDI ARABIA THIS YEAR HAS TAKEN ON 
A CHARACTER QUITE DIFFERENT FROM RAMADANS PAST.  SAUDI 
RAMADAN IS TRADITIONALLY CHARACTERIZED BY DAYTIME INACTIVITY 
AND NIGHTTIME ENERGY, WITH SAUDIS PASSING SOMNAMBULANT DAYS 
AT WORK FOLLOWING NIGHT-LONG FLINGS OF EATING, SHOPPING AND 
VISITING RELATIVES.  DAILY WORKING HOURS IN GOVERNMENT 
OFFICES ARE OFFICIALLY REDUCED TO FROM 8 HOURS TO 5; AND, 
WHILE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT TO WORK, IT 
HAS BEEN LARGELY UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY ARE EXCUSED FROM 
ACTUALLY WORKING.  EACH YEAR, WHEN THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES 
THE REDUCTION IN WORKING HOURS FOR RAMADAN, IT IS CUSTOMARY 
FOR IT TO LIKEWISE ANNOUNCE THE CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS BY THE END 
OF THE FIRST WEEK OF THE MONTH.  THIS YEAR, HOWEVER, IN WHAT 
APPEARS TO BE AN ATTEMPT TO GRADUALLY CHANGE SAUDIS' 
BEHAVIORAL APPROACH TO RAMADAN, UNIVERSITIES REMAINED OPEN 
THROUGH THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THE MONTH (AND HELD EXAMS), 
AND THE GOVERNMENT ORDERED SCHOOLS TO REMAIN OPEN THROUGH THE 
FIRST THREE WEEKS OF RAMADAN (AND DIRECTED THAT MID-YEAR 
EXAMS BE ADMINISTERED DURING THIS PERIOD).  THIS CHANGE HAS 
BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY A HEIGHTENED LEVEL OF PUBLIC ACTIVITY BY 
GOVERNMENT LEADERS AND OFFICIALS, SENDING A SIGNAL THAT THE 
KINGDOM REMAINS "OPEN FOR BUSINESS," DESPITE ITS BEING 
RAMADAN.  THIS HAS HAD A MARKED EFFECT ON THE BEHAVIOR, AND 
MOOD, OF SAUDIS.  JUST ONE YEAR AFTER CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH 
ANNOUNCED THAT "THE BOOM TIMES ARE OVER" (REFTEL (A)), THE 
LEADERSHIP APPEARS TO BE USING RAMADAN TO REINFORCE ITS "WAKE 
UP CALL" TO THE SAUDI POPULACE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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TESTED TEMPERS 
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2.  THE OBSERVATION REPORTED BY AMCONGEN JEDDAH (REFTEL (B), 
PARA. 8) -- THAT THE CONTINUATION OF SCHOOLING, AND THE 
ADMINISTRATION OF MID-TERM EXAMS, THROUGH THE THIRD WEEK OF 
RAMADAN HAS FRAYED TEMPERS AND DISRUPTED TRADITIONAL RAMADAN 
FAMILY LIFE -- HAS BEEN THE SOURCE OF CONSIDERABLE COMMENT IN 
THE SAUDI MEDIA.  THIS UNPRECEDENTED PHENOMENON HAS MEANT 
THAT THE CUSTOMARY HIGH-LEVEL OF NIGHTTIME ACTIVITY DURING 
THE MONTH HAS BEEN LARGELY REDUCED, AND REPLACED BY MORE 
NORMAL DAYTIME ACTIVITY.  EVEN CASUAL OBSERVATIONS AROUND 
RIYADH REVEAL THAT THE USUAL DENSE NIGHTTIME TRAFFIC HAS 
TAPERED OFF, FAR FEWER RECKLESS STUDENTS ARE CRUISING THE 
STREETS AIMLESSLY, AND EVEN THE LEVEL OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS 
SEEMS TO HAVE DROPPED.  BECAUSE OF EXAMS, FAMILIES ARE 
COMPELLED TO STAY HOME, AND HAVE MUCH LESS TIME FOR SHOPPING, 
TO THE POINT -- APPARENTLY -- OF IMPACTING THE SAUDI RAMADAN 
TRADITION OF REPLACING THE FURNITURE IN THEIR HOUSES:  THE 
USUAL RIYADH STREET SCENE OF TRUCKS FULL OF CARPETS AND 
FURNITURE HAS BEEN LARGELY UNOBSERVED THIS YEAR. 
 
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A CONSPICUOUS LACK OF CONSUMPTION 
--------------------------------- 
 
3.  THE IMPACT OF THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION FOR SCHOOLS TO 
REMAIN OPEN HAS DRAWN MEDIA ATTENTION TO THE CHANGED CONSUMER 
BEHAVIOR THAT HAS RESULTED.  "AL-HAYAT," FOR EXAMPLE, ON 
DECEMBER 25 PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE UNDER THE HEADLINE "RETREAT 
OF RETAIL SALES IN THE KINGDOM FOR THE FIRST HALF OF 
RAMADAN."  THE ARTICLE NOTES THAT, DESPITE AGGRESSIVE 
PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGNS -- INCLUDING DISCOUNTING BY MORE THAN 
40 PERCENT, ALONG WITH FREE GIFTS AND OTHER INCENTIVES -- 
CONSUMER SPENDING IS FAR BELOW TRADITIONAL RAMADAN LEVELS; 
THE ARTICLE TIES THIS DECLINE TO THE FACT THAT MID-YEAR EXAMS 
ARE BEING HELD DURING RAMADAN.  THE "AL-HAYAT" ARTICLE ALSO 
NOTES THAT SAUDI MERCHANTS HAD BEEN EXPECTING THE NORMAL 250- 
TO 300-PERCENT INCREASE IN RETAIL SALES DURING RAMADAN, BUT 
THAT CURRENT ESTIMATIONS ARE FOR AN INCREASE OF NO MORE THAN 
40- TO 60-PERCENT. 
 
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A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER 
----------------------- 
 
4.  IN ALL RESPECTS THE CHANGES WHICH HAVE BEEN INDUCED IN 
SAUDI BEHAVIOR THROUGH THE RAMADAN SCHOOL CALENDAR HAVE BEEN 
FOR THE BETTER.  THE ABSENCE OF YOUNG SAUDI MALES CRUISING 
THE STREETS AND SHOPPING MALLS AT ALL HOURS, THE REDUCTION IN 
RECKLESS AND WASTEFUL SPENDING TYPICAL OF THE SEASON, AND THE 
RETENTION OF MORE REGULAR WORK HQITS ARE ALL POSITIVE 
DEVELOPMENTS FOR THE KINGDOM:  FOR THE QUALITY OF PUBLIC AND 
FAMILY LIFE, AND -- IN A COUNTRY WHICH ASPIRES TO ACCEDE TO 
THE WTO, AND TO "SAUDI-IZE" ITS ECONOMY -- FOR THE LONG-TERM 
HEALTH OF THE ECONOMY AS WELL. 
 
5.  THE MESSAGE OF "BUSINESS AS USUAL" -- WHILE PERHAPS MOST 
EMPHATICALLY COMMUNICATED THROUGH THE SCHOOL CALENDAR -- HAS 
BEEN CONVEYED THROUGH A VARIETY OF OTHER MEANS AS WELL. 
RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND MEDIA COMMENTATORS HAVE EMPHASIZED IN 
THEIR SERMONS AND COMMENTARIES THAT THE FASTING REQUIRED OF 
MUSLIMS DURING RAMADAN DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY SHOULD SHIRK 
THEIR WORK AND OTHER DUTIES; RATHER, A DEVOUT MUSLIM MUST 
CONTINUE HIS NORMAL COURSE OF LIFE -- AND WORK -- DURING THE 
MONTH OF RAMADAN. 
 
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LEADING BY EXAMPLE 
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6.  A COROLLARY TO THE OBSERVATIONS REGARDING BEHAVIORAL 
CHANGE INDUCED BY THE SCHOOL CALENDAR IS THE NOTICEABLE 
INCREASE IN THE LEVEL AND VISIBILITY OF PUBLIC ACTIVITY BY 
SAUDI LEADERS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.  WHILE, AS IS ITS 
USUAL RAMADAN CUSTOM, THE CABINET HAS MOVED ITS WEEKLY 
SESSIONS DURING RAMADAN TO NIGHTTIME, ALL INDICATIONS ARE 
THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS EXERTING AN EFFORT TO CONDUCT 
"BUSINESS AS USUAL" DURING THE MONTH.  THE MOST CONSPICUOUS 
EXAMPLE OF ACTIVE AND "HIGH-VISIBILITY" GOVERNMENT DURING 
RAMADAN WAS LAST WEEK'S ROLLOUT OF THE KINGDOM'S ANNUAL 
BUDGET, ACCOMPANIED BY CONSIDERABLE MEDIA ACCESS TO 
HIGH-LEVEL OFFICIALS.  MEANWHILE, KING FAHD, CROWN PRINCE 
ABDULLAH, DEFENSE MINISTER PRINCE SULTAN, AND RIYADH GOVERNOR 
PRINCE SALMAN HAVE ALL MADE SEVERAL WELL-PUBLICIZED 
APPEARANCES DURING THIS MONTH -- INAUGURATING NEW PROJECTS, 
INSPECTING GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS, HOSTING VISITING FOREIGN 
LEADERS, AND ATTENDING PUBLIC EVENTS. 
 
7.  ON DECEMBER 27 ALONE, THE "HOME" PAGE OF THE "RIYADH 
DAILY" CARRIED COVERAGE OF THE MOROCCAN KING, THE BAHRAINI 
EMIR, AND THE SULTAN OF BRUNEI MEETING WITH SAUDI OFFICIALS 
(ALL IN MECCA TO PERFORM "UMRA," OR THE MINOR PILGRIMAGE). 
THE SAME PAGE REPORTED ON GRAND MUFTI AL-SHEIKH RECEIVING THE 
HEAD OF THE "DA'WA" (ISLAMIC CALL) CENTER IN LATIN AMERICA, 
THE SAUDI HAJJ COMMITTEE HOLDING A PLANNING MEETING, THE HEAD 
OF THE "SHOURA COUNCIL" RECEIVING A DELEGATION OF GCC 
CULTURAL OFFICIALS, AND THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE ARAB 
BUREAU OF EDUCATION FOR THE GULF STATES MEETING IN JEDDAH. 
SUCH A REPORTED LEVEL OF OFFICIAL ACTIVITY IS HIGH EVEN BY 
SAUDI NON-RAMADAN STANDARDS. 
 
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THE BACKLASH 
------------ 
 
8.  WHILE SOME SOCIETAL ELEMENTS HAVE REACTED WITH 
ACCEPTANCE, EVEN APPRECIATION OF THE "NEW" SAUDI APPROACH TO 
RAMADAN, RESISTANCE TO AND DISSATISFACTION WITH THIS CHANGE 
IS EVIDENT IN MANY QUARTERS.  NOT UNEXPECTEDLY, TEACHERS ARE 
AMONG THOSE WHO ARE MOST VOCAL, A FACT REFLECTED IN THE 
ANECDOTE CONVEYED IN PARA. 8 OF REFTEL (B).  "AL-RIYADH" 
CHIMED IN ON THIS ISSUE ON DECEMBER 23 BY PUBLISHING AN 
"INVESTIGATIVE REPORT" ENTITLED "TEACHERS EXPRESS FRUSTRATION 
OVER WORKING DURING RAMADAN, AND SHOW UNEASINESS FOR 
TEACHING."  THE ARTICLE CITES A NUMBER OF TEACHERS 
CRITICIZING THE NEW ARRANGEMENT: 
 
-- A DEPUTY PRINCIPAL AT AN INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL, COMMENTING 
EMOTIONALLY:  "THIS YEAR EXAMS COME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 
MONTH OF RAMADAN, WHICH IN MY OPINION PREVENTS TEACHERS AND 
STUDENTS FROM OBSERVING THEIR RELIGIOUS DUTIES DURING THIS 
MONTH IN AN APPROPRIATE WAY. ... (STUDIES) DISTRACT A STUDENT 
FROM PERFORMING HIS RELIGIOUS DUTIES, FROM RECITATION OF THE 
QUR'AN, AND FROM CHARITABLE WORK DIRECTED TO THE ALMIGHTY 
DURING THIS HOLY MONTH, WHEN WE ARE REQUIRED TO DOUBLE OUR 
WORSHIP OF GOD. ... (AND) THE SAME APPLIES TO THE TEACHER. 
... YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW A TEACHER CAN ... PERFORM HIS 
RELIGIOUS DUTIES DURING THIS HOLY MONTH"; 
 
-- A SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHER EXPRESSING SIMILAR VIEWS, AND 
ARGUING FOR "OBSERVING THE DUTIES OF THIS MONTH WITHOUT ANY 
ANNOYING OBLIGATIONS"; 
 
-- AN INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL TEACHER STATING:  "MOST OF THE 
TEACHERS ARE FRUSTRATED BY CONDUCTING EXAMS DURING THE MONTH 
OF RAMADAN," ADDING "ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEMS 
TEACHERS FACE DURING THIS MONTH IS LACK OF CONCENTRATION 
AMONG STUDENTS.  THEY ARE STILL YOUNG AND FASTING AFFECTS 
THEM GREATLY..." 
 
-- AND, FINALLY, A TEACHER WHO SUGGESTS THAT "90 PERCENT OF 
THE TEACHERS DO NOT TEACH PROPERLY DURING RAMADAN.  IT IS 
IMPOSSIBLE FOR A TEACHER TO TEACH AN ENTIRE DAY WHILE HE IS 
FASTING."  THIS TEACHER CONCLUDES HIS COMMENTS BY EXPRESSING 
HIS "HOPE FOR A RECONSIDERATION OF THIS ISSUE IN THE FUTURE," 
AND A RETURN TO THE STATUS QUO ANTE. 
 
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YOU TOOK THE WORDS ... 
---------------------- 
 
9.  SIMILAR SENTIMENTS ARE EXPRESSED IN AN ITEM IN THE 
DECEMBER 27 "ARAB NEWS," UNDER THE HEADLINE "PARENTS HAVE 
HARD TIME COPING WITH EXAMS DURING RAMADAN."  THE ARTICLE 
OPENS WITH THE OBSERVATION:  "WITH SCHOOL EXAMS STRETCHING 
WELL INTO THE HOLY MONTH THIS YEAR, IT SEEMS THAT FOR MANY 
PEOPLE RAMADAN LACKS ITS USUAL SPIRITUAL ATMOSPHERE. 
CHILDREN ARE BUSY STUDYING, THEIR PARENTS ARE HELPING THEM 
DAY AND NIGHT, AND TEACHERS ARE CORRECTING PAPERS.  MANY 
READILY ADMIT THAT THEY HAVE NOT YET FELT THE SPIRITUAL 
CALMNESS THEY NORMALLY FEEL DURING THIS MONTH." 
 
10.  THE ARTICLE GOES ON TO GIVE VENT TO THE COMPLAINTS AND 
FRUSTRATIONS OF SEVERAL STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS, BEFORE 
CONCLUDING WITH THE COMMENT:  "UNTIL EXAMS FINISH AT THE END 
OF THIS WEEK THE PEOPLE OF THE KINGDOM MUST ACCUSTOM 
THEMSELVES TO THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND CONCENTRATE ON MAKING 
THE LAST TEN DAYS OF THE MONTH A PURELY SPIRITUAL EXERCISE." 
THE CROWN PRINCE HIMSELF COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT ANY BETTER. 
 
 
FOWLER