US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI3527

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 ABU DHABI 003527 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP 
 
ALSO FOR INR/B 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/14 
TAGS: PINR, PGOV, TC 
SUBJECT: UAE First Lady: Behind-the-Scenes Player 
 
Ref: (A) USDAO Abu Dhabi R 291232Z Sep 04, (B) Abu Dhabi 
3410 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador Michele J. Sison, reasons 1. 4 
(b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: First Lady Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Al 
Kitbi is a key political player and will likely remain so 
even after UAE President Sheikh Zayed departs the scene. 
She has succeeded in promoting her six sons to key 
positions of power and influence, including her oldest son, 
Mohammed, who will likely become UAE President in the 
decades to come.  Sheikha Fatima is the most prominent 
female figure in the UAE and we expect her to continue to 
exercise influence.  Her stated goal of getting UAE 
national women to sit in the Federal National Council (FNC) 
is likely to be realized soon after her husband's death. 
Her encouragement and advocacy on behalf of women over the 
years have empowered the younger generation of Emirati 
women, who are gradually making their influence felt in the 
UAE economy and society.  End Summary. 
 
Background 
---------- 
 
2. (C) Fatima Bint Mubarak Al Kitbi was born in the 
vicinity of the city of Al Ain in the Eastern Region of Abu 
Dhabi Emirate.  Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan 
reportedly saw his future bride during a traditional dance. 
Sheikha Fatima married in her mid-teens and bore her eldest 
son, Mohammed (now Abu Dhabi Deputy Crown Prince and Chief 
of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces), in March 1961.  She 
would have been no more than 16 years of age, and possibly 
younger.  Her official biography calls her a pioneer in 
supporting women's causes and women's education in the UAE 
since the 1960s.  Fatima's passports contain the stamp 
"purdah female," and indeed there apparently exists only 
one photograph of the First Lady in the public domain. 
(Note: Our contacts say Sheikha Fatima is illiterate, 
although her CV states that she has studied the Quran, as 
well as arts and human science fields, concentrating on 
poetry and philosophy, history, politics and diplomacy. 
End note.)  By 1973, she had established the Abu Dhabi 
Women's Association, and by 1975, while still in her 20s, 
she had founded the UAE General Women's Union (GWU), the 
foremost women's organization in the country. 
 
The Bani Fatima 
--------------- 
 
3. (C) After Mohammed, Sheikh Zayed and Sheikha Fatima had 
seven more children together (Note: Sheikh Zayed has had a 
total of 19 sons and 10 daughters by different wives.  End 
note.)  Mohammed's siblings are brothers Hamdan (b. 1963), 
Haza'a (b. 1965), Tahnoun (b. 1969), Mansour (b. 1971), and 
Abdullah (b. 1973), and sisters Shamma (b. 1967) and Ilyazi 
(b. 1968).  The six sons are collectively known as the Bani 
Fatima, or sons of Fatima.  They effectively control the 
key portfolios in the UAEG today, including defense, 
security, information, and foreign affairs.  Mohammed, the 
eldest, is second in line behind half-brother Khalifa, the 
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Emirate, to succeed their 
nonagenarian father, whose health is increasingly 
precarious. 
 
The most influential wife 
------------------------- 
 
4. (C) Sheikha Fatima is the fifth of Sheikh Zayed's nine 
wives, and is the only wife referred to in the press. 
Locals and expatriates refer to her as Sheikh Zayed's 
favorite and official wife.  She is certainly the most 
powerful and influential.  As the mother of the Bani 
Fatima, she has worked successfully behind the scenes to 
promote her sons to key positions of power.  Mohammed, who 
has been Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces since 1993, 
controls the military.  In November 2003, Zayed appointed 
him Deputy Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, a move Sheikha Fatima 
and her progeny orchestrated.  The decree appointing 
Mohammed clarified the presidential succession with the 
explicit stipulation that Mohammed would become Crown 
Prince of Abu Dhabi when that post became vacant.  Mohammed 
also is the chief adviser to the President on National 
Security, member of the Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum 
Council, board member of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, 
member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and President 
and Patron of the think tank Emirates Center for Strategic 
Studies and Research (ECSSR).  On October 4, he was named 
Honorary Chairman of the Higher Committee assigned to 
coordinate ecomomic policy, program, and plans among the 
seven emirates. 
 
5. (C) Sheikha Fatima's second oldest son, Hamdan, has been 
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs since 1990.  As the 
UAE's de facto Foreign Minister, Hamdan is the USG's 
primary interlocutor on our bilateral relations.  In 
September 2003, Hamdan was appointed Deputy Prime Minister, 
again with lobbying from Sheikha Fatima, most observers 
acknowledge.  There is speculation that after Zayed's 
death, the Bani Fatima will engineer the process so that 
Hamdan becomes Deputy Crown Prince.  What role Sheikha 
Fatima would play in such a scenario is open to question. 
Others speculate that Crown Prince Khalifa will attempt to 
appoint his son Sultan Bin Khalifa as Deputy Crown Prince. 
Hamdan also is Chairman of Dolphin Energy Ltd., President 
of UAE Red Crescent, Deputy Chairman of the Environmental 
Research and Wildlife Development Agency, and Director of 
Abu Dhabi Fund for Arab Economic Development. 
 
6. (S) Haza'a has been Director of Abu Dhabi State Security 
since 1992.  Like his brothers Mohammed and Hamdan, Haza'a 
is a strong proponent of bilateral cooperation with the 
U.S.  We do not know to what extent his mother played a 
role in his appointment.  However, Haza'a is very close to 
Mohammed.  This month, as he did last year, Haza'a is 
visiting Washington to discuss counterterrorism cooperation 
and intelligence sharing at the NSC, CIA, FBI, and State. 
We also do not have details of Sheikha Fatima's involvement 
in the appointments of her sons Tahnoun, Mansour, and 
Abdullah, who control Zayed's private fortune, access, and 
information.  Tahnoun is Chairman of the Private 
Department, which looks after Sheikh Zayed's personal 
investments and foreign properties.  Mansour is director of 
Sheikh Zayed's office, making him the son with the most 
access to his father.  Mansour also is Deputy Chairman of 
of the Sheikh Zayed Charitable Foundation.  Abdullah, the 
Minister of Information and Culture since 1997, controls 
the national news agency, WAM, and is Chairman of Emirates 
Media Incorporated, which owns Abu Dhabi TV and the main 
Abu Dhabi Arabic language daily, Al Ittihad. 
 
7. (C) In addition to being a power broker, Sheikha Fatima 
has established her primacy among wives in Abu Dhabi. 
Those who know her say she is a very smart woman who 
doesn't miss a thing, and has natural dignity and charming 
modesty.  Around the UAE, Sheikha Fatima's popularity 
derives from her enormous generosity, and some say, from 
her relatively humble origins.  "People like the fact that 
she is from a small tribe and is not educated," a local 
scholar told us. 
 
8. (C) The question is, what becomes of Sheikha Fatima's 
political influence after her husband dies.  He is 
reportedly in precarious health (ref B).  We see her role 
diminishing somewhat because her sons already are in 
positions of power and influence, with Mohammed seemingly 
secure in the succession line.  While there is some 
speculation that Sheikh Zayed's immediate heir, Crown 
Prince Sheikh Khalifa, may try to rejigger some 
appointments to undercut the Bani Fatima's power, we think 
that scenario is unlikely.  One plausible future role for 
Sheikha Fatima - nd this, too, will be behind the scenes 
 will be to groom Sheikha Salaama, Mohammed's wife, as 
future First Lady. 
 
Initiatives in politics and education 
------------------------------------- 
 
9. (C) For years Sheikha Fatima has advocated a greater 
role for women, including their inclusion as members of the 
Federal National Council (FNC), which is responsible for 
examining and amending all proposed federal legislation. 
"There is nothing to prevent women from entering the 
political arena.  They have all the support they need from 
the president and the rulers of the various emirates.  The 
constitution guarantees their rights," she said in an 
interview with Al Ahram Weekly in May 2003 during a visit 
to Cairo.  "Soon we shall see women in the positions of 
ministers in parliament, where they can continue to play a 
role in serving society," she added. 
 
10. (U) Sheikha Fatima also has pushed hard to improve the 
status of women in the field of education, and to eliminate 
illiteracy.  At the university level, 57 percent of 
graduates are women.  In the labor force in 2000, there 
were 75,683 women employed in various jobs, according to 
the GWU.  This figure doubled in five years; in 1995, it 
did not exceed 18,144 women.  Illiteracy, which once 
exceeded 75 percent of the population, has now been almost 
eradicated.  According to the GWU, 88 percent of Emirati 
women are now educated.  (Note: The GWU she founded reviews 
and offers opinions on all draft laws concerning women and 
children.  End note.) 
 
Stands to inherit a fortune 
--------------------------- 
 
11. (S) Sheikha Fatima's financial future appears very 
secure as she stands to inherit billions of dollars. 
Sheikh Zayed's personal wealth is estimated at $64 billion 
(ref A).  Sheikha Fatima is expected to receive $8 billion 
with the remainder of the estate divided among the sons in 
equal shares and to the daughters in half shares.  Each of 
Zayed's sons will receive two equal shares and each 
daughter one share of the remainder of the estate. 
 
Comparison with other Gulf First Ladies 
--------------------------------------- 
 
12. (C) In contrast to most other First Ladies in the 
region, Sheikha Fatima is a public figure.  However, she 
only appears in the presence of women.  When the all- 
women's Zayed University hosted Sheikha Fatima at last 
spring's graduation ceremony in Abu Dhabi, the college had 
to cordon off its campus, and Sheikha Fatima's security 
detail stood guard on the perimeter to ensure that no men - 
 ot even the students' fathers and brothers  ntered the 
premises.  According to an attendee, Sheikha Fatima sat and 
listened as someone read the speech that was written for 
her. 
 
 
 
Not everyone is a fan 
--------------------- 
 
13. (C) While most acknowledge Sheikha Fatima's power and 
influence in the UAE, and applaud her contributions to 
various charities and her stated support of women's causes, 
there are those who say she tends to be arrogant and to 
look after her own.  In some circles, people refer to her 
and the Bani Fatima derogatorily as a "secret committee" 
that takes important decisions related to security, foreign 
affairs, and information.  Some critics do not like that 
she and the Bani Fatima act as Sheikh Zayed's gatekeepers 
ensuring that no one speaks to him without their approval. 
Whenever the ailing president has been in the hospital, one 
of his sons, and often Sheikha Fatima, has always been 
there. 
 
14. (C) Some Emiratis also question Sheikha Fatima's 
ability to carry out the kinds of reforms she talks about 
in her speeches, including giving women a greater role in 
politics.  These same interlocutors say the GWU could have 
done a lot more to advance the conditions of women in its 
30-year existence.  "They promote women's handicrafts," and 
little else, lamented one of our regular contacts.  From 
our own visits to GWU headquarters in Abu Dhabi, we can 
confirm that it is little more than a showcase for Sheikha 
Fatima's individual accomplishments.  About 10 years ago, 
Sheikha Fatima named a female UAE University professor as 
her advisor at the GWU, but she reportedly rejected the 
advisor's plans for creating a forum for UAE intellectual 
women and refused to fund research.  The advisor was not 
satisfied serving as a protocol chief and organizing 
celebrations, and returned to her teaching job.  Some of 
our contacts have told us that once a woman enters Sheikha 
Fatima's entourage, she effectively gives up her personal 
life.  "It is difficult to live near a sheikha.  You cannot 
do anything she does not approve of.  You have no say," a 
contact said. 
 
15. (C) If Sheikha Fatima is so influential, why is it that 
after so many years of advocacy, there isn't a single woman 
sitting in the FNC, our contacts ask.  (Note: The FNC's 40 
members are all appointed.  End note.)  One of our 
political contacts has stated in the past that the first 
political reform in the UAE should be to establish an 
elected legislature to replace the FNC's appointed body. 
The second reform, which could take place simultaneously, 
would be to include women, our contact said.  Although a 
visionary leader with regard to economic and social policy 
and the UAE's strategic interests, Sheikh Zayed was deeply 
conservative politically.  It will remain to her sons to 
push for more political openness. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
16. (C) How much Sheikha Fatima's star diminishes after 
Sheikh Zayed's eldest son, Crown Prince Khalifa, assumes 
the presidency remains to be seen.  In any event, Khalifa's 
wife Shamsa Bint Suhail Mazrouie, who is Sheikha Fatima's 
expected successor as First Lady, will have a difficult 
time topping Sheikha Fatima's reputed popularity among UAE 
nationals. 
SISON