US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI1055

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001055 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/PPD; NEA/PI; NEA/ARP; NEA/FO; ECA; 
IIP/G/NESA; CA/EX; CA/VO; CA/PPD 
 
REF: 03 ABU DHABI 04315; 03 ABU DHABI 04408; 03 ABU DHABI 
04792; 03 ABU DHABI 04845; 03 ABU DHABI 05031 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS:  KPAO, CVIS, CMGT, PREL, TC 
SUBJECT:  YOU LOSE ONE, YOU LOSE THEM ALL - UAE STUDENTS 
CONTINUE TO AVOID THE US DUE TO VISA AND BORDER PROCEDURES. 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY:  AS PART OF THE MISSION'S OUTREACH EFFORTS, 
PAO, CONOFF AND PAO CULTURAL SPECIALIST VISITED THE TRAINING 
AND SCHOLARSHIPS DEPARTMENT OF THE ABU DHABI INVESTMENT 
AUTHORITY (ADIA), WHICH MANAGES ABU DHABI'S LARGE OVERSEAS 
INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO AND IS THE LARGEST SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDER 
FOR UAE CITIZENS.  EMBASSY STAFF DISCUSSED IMPROVEMENTS IN US 
VISA AND BORDER PROCESSING AND OFFERED ASSISTANCE TO 
PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS.  OUR ADIA 
INTERLOCUTORS POINTED OUT THAT SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE US ARE 
HEADED FOR ANOTHER HISTORIC LOW.  THEY BLAME MISPERCEPTIONS 
AND DIFFICULTIES WITH VISA AND BORDER POLICIES THAT THEY SAY 
DISSUADE UAE STUDENTS FROM CHOOSING THE US DESPITE RECENT 
IMPROVEMENTS TO US VISA AND BORDER POLICIES.  END SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------------------- 
CONTINUING OUTREACH AND DIALOGUE 
-------------------------------- 
 
2. (U) ON TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2004, PAO, CONOFF, AND PAO 
CULTURAL SPECIALIST MET THE LEADERSHIP OF ADIA'S TRAINING AND 
SCHOLARSHIPS DEPARTMENT.  REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT AT THE 
MEETING INCLUDED AHMED SHABEEB AL DHAHERI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 
AND UAE FEDERAL NATIONAL COUNCIL MEMBER, DR. AHMAD BADR, 
ASSISTANT MANAGER AND AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, AND DR. ABDELKADER 
ZEROUGUI, ACADEMIC ADVISOR FOR THE US AND WHO SPENT OVER 20 
YEARS STUDYING AND WORKING IN THE US.  ADIA AWARDED 
APPROXIMATELY 150 FULL-RIDE SCHOLARSHIPS IN 2003 TO UAE 
CITIZENS FROM ALL EMIRATES. 
 
3. (U) CONOFF EXPLAINED IMPROVEMENTS IN VISA AND BORDER 
PROCESSING, INCLUDING REVISIONS TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY 
ENTRY/EXIT REGISTRATION SYSTEM (NSEERS), BIOMETRIC COLLECTIONS 
FOR US VISA APPLICANTS, AND THE START OF THE US-VISIT PROGRAM. 
PAO REITERATED THE USG'S COMMITMENT TO OPEN AND SECURE BORDERS 
AND RECOMMENDED THAT SCHOLARSHIP OFFICERS, STUDENTS, AND 
PARENTS CONTACT PAO OR CONSULAR STAFFS WITH QUESTIONS ON VISA 
AND BORDER PROCEDURES AND STUDYING IN THE US. 
 
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BATTLING MISPERCEPTIONS AND DELAYS 
---------------------------------- 
 
4. (SBU) DR. BADR REPLIED THAT STUDENT APPLICATIONS TO THE US 
CONTINUE TO FALL.  THIS YEAR, ADIA AWARDED ONLY 12 
SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE US WITH POSSIBLY 28 ADDITIONAL 
SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE US AFTER FINAL GRADES ARE AWARDED IN JUNE. 
BEFORE SEPTEMBER 11TH, ADIA FUNDED APPROXIMATELY 1300 STUDENTS 
IN THE US.  THE TOTAL IS NOW 350, WITH ABOUT 100 GRADUATING 
THIS YEAR AND ONLY 40 REPLACING THEM. 
 
5. (U) COMMENT:  OVERALL, ADIA WILL ONLY AWARD 150 
SCHOLARSHIPS THIS YEAR FOR ALL COUNTRIES, A SIGNIFICANT 
DECREASE FROM PREVIOUS YEARS.  THIS IS MOST LIKELY DUE TO 
SEVERAL FACTORS: (1) SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE UAE'S 
SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION; (2) AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF 
AMERICAN AND WESTERN UNIVERSITIES OPENING SATELLITE FACILITIES 
IN THE FREE ZONES, SUCH AS AT DUBAI'S KNOWLEDGE VILLAGE; (3) 
AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SCHOLARSHIPS PROVIDED BY OTHER 
GOVERNMENT ENTITIES AND NATIONAL CORPORATIONS; AND (4) A 
REDUCTION IN ADIA'S GENERAL INVESTMENT INCOME SINCE 2001.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
6. (SBU) DR. BADR DISAGREED WITH IMPROVEMENTS TO THE VISA 
PROCESS, AS MOST ADIA STUDENTS WAIT LONGER THAN TWO MONTHS. 
IN SOME CASES, ADIA STUDENTS WAITED 8 AND 9 MONTHS, WHICH 
DISCOURAGED FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS AS WELL.  DR. BADR 
ASSERTED THAT STUDENTS SHOULD BE REFUSED RATHER WAIT.  THIS IS 
PROBABLY BETTER FOR THE US AS WELL, HE ADDED, AS AT LEAST THE 
STUDENT'S ANGER AT BEING DENIED WOULD NOT SPREAD TO FRIENDS 
AND FAMILY MEMBERS, WHO ALSO PUT THEIR LIVES ON HOLD WHILE THE 
STUDENT WAITS. 
 
7. (SBU) AS A RESULT, DR. ZEROUGUI EXPLAINED THAT PARENTS DO 
NOT WANT TO WAIT TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO THE US IF STUDENTS 
RECEIVE VISAS TO THE UK, CANADA, OR AUSTRALIA IN A WEEK.  THIS 
APPLIES ESPECIALLY TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS, WHO AWAIT 
THEIR FINAL GRADES IN JUNE.  THEY SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE TIME TO 
WAIT FOR A VISA LIKE THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS, 
WHO STUDY ENGLISH FULL TIME, TAKE THE SAT IN THE WINTER OR 
SPRING, AND START THE APPLICATION AND VISA PROCESSES EARLIER. 
 
8. (SBU) DR. BADR ALSO DESCRIBED THE PROBLEMS FACING CURRENT 
STUDENTS IN THE US.  HE EXPLAINED THAT MANY UAE STUDENTS BEGIN 
IN AN ENGLISH PROGRAM OR COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRIOR TO JOINING A 
UNIVERSITY OR COLLEGE.  MANY ARE SCARED THAT THEY WILL NOT GET 
A NEW VISA OR BE ALLOWED TO RETURN.  THUS, THESE STUDENTS ARE 
ALSO CHOOSING TO APPLY TO OTHER COUNTRIES TO AVOID PROBLEMS. 
 
9. (SBU) MR. AL DHAHERI STATED THAT STUDENTS' TREATMENT AT 
PORTS-OF-ENTRY (POES) AND NSEERS PROCEDURES ARE STILL THE MOST 
DIFFICULT CHALLENGES.  FEW UNDERSTAND NSEERS REQUIREMENTS, 
WHICH ARE NOT APPLIED CONSISTENTLY AT POES.  THE INTRODUCTION 
OF THE US-VISIT PROGRAM WORSENED THIS PROBLEM, AS MANY BELIEVE 
THAT IT REPLACED NSEERS.  UAE STUDENTS ARE STILL DETAINED ON 
ARRIVAL, QUESTIONED, THEIR VISAS ARE CANCELLED, AND THEY ARE 
RETURNED TO THE UAE.  HE NOTED FRANKLY "IF YOU LOSE ONE 
STUDENT, YOU LOSE THEM ALL - FATHERS, MOTHERS, SISTERS, 
BROTHERS, COUSINS, FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS - YOU LOSE THEM 
ALL."  INDEED, HIS COMMENTS MIRRORED THE LARGE "CANCELLED 
STUDENTS - USA" FILES IN THE ADIA LIBRARY VERSUS THE LEAN 
"CURRENT STUDENTS - USA" FILE NEXT TO IT. 
 
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NOT GETTING CREDIT FOR SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS 
------------------------------------------- 
 
10. (U) CONOFF REPLIED THAT NSEERS VIOLATORS COULD RE-APPLY 
FOR A VISA.  IN FACT, THE EMBASSY IN ABU DHABI HAS RECEIVED 
VISA APPLICATIONS FROM 5 NSEERS VIOLATORS.  ALL WERE APPROVED 
FOR A NEW VISA, AS STUDENTS SIMPLY MISUNDERSTOOD THE NSEERS 
PROCEDURES.  PAO REMARKED THAT THE PAO AND CONSULAR STAFFS ARE 
WILLING TO EXPLAIN THE PROCESSES TO ANYONE.  IF DESIRED, PAO 
STAFF WILL FACILITATE DIGITAL VIDEO CONFERENCES BETWEEN CA, 
DHS, EDUCATORS, AND UAE STUDENTS IN THE US TO EASE CONCERNS, 
AS WAS DONE RECENTLY AT ZAYED UNIVERSITY IN ABU DHABI. 
 
11. (U) COMMENT:  THE NUMBER OF UAE STUDENTS GOING TO THE US 
IS STILL A DECLINING TREND.  IN ABU DHABI, 70 UAE STUDENTS 
WERE ISSUED VISAS FOR THE SPRING 2004 SEMESTER, AND SO FAR, 12 
UAE STUDENTS WERE ISSUED VISAS FOR FALL 2004.  THIS IS A 
COMMON TREND IN THE REGION.  THE MAIN PROBLEM, THESE AND OTHER 
SCHOLARSHIP OFFICERS CLAIM (SEE REFTELS), IS THAT BAD RUMORS 
HOLD AND SPREAD FASTER THAN GOOD PRESS AND EXPERIENCE.  A FEW 
CASES OF A LENGTHY VISA DELAY OR RUDE TREATMENT AT A US POE 
HAVE COME TO BE SEEN AS UNIVERSAL TRUTH EVEN IF PROCESSING 
TIME IS REDUCED AND ONLY 5 UAE NATIONALS HAVE APPLIED FOR A 
NEW NONIMMIGRANT VISA DUE TO AN NSEERS VIOLATION. 
 
12. (SBU) THERE IS ALSO HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.  DR. BADR, MR. AL 
DHAHERI AND DR. ZEROUGUI ALL NOTED THAT "99.9 PERCENT" OF UAE 
STUDENTS AND PARENTS INITIALLY CHOOSE THE US BEFORE ANY OTHER 
COUNTRY."  THIS SENTIMENT MIRRORS THE PUBLIC COMMENTARY OF 
RULING FAMILY MEMBERS IN BOTH ABU DHABI AND DUBAI, 
PARTICULARLY THAT OF SHEIKH NAHYAN BIN MUBARAK AL NAHYAN, THE 
POPULAR MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION, WHO SENDS HIS SONS TO 
THE US FOR THEIR EDUCATION.  TO BUILD UPON THIS COMMENTARY AND 
ENCOURAGE MORE STUDENTS TO CHOOSE THE US, WE ARE CONTINUING 
OUR OUTREACH TO INFORM PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND 
GOVERNMENT AND SCHOLARSHIP OFFICIALS OF CHANGES IN VISA AND 
BORDER PROCEDURES AND DISPEL RUMORS.  END COMMENT. 
 
WAHBA