US embassy cable - 05AMMAN1436

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 001436 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2015 
TAGS: PINR, EAID, PGOV, KMPI, JO 
SUBJECT: BIO OF NEW PLANNING MINISTER TAYSEER AL-SMADI 
 
REF: AMMAN 1422 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires David Hale for reason 1.4 (d) 
 
1. (SBU) Minister of Planning Bassem Awadallah resigned on 
February 20; he told us he left in order to pursue a 
private-sector opportunity in Dubai (reftel).  The 
Ministry,s Secretary-General Dr. Tayseer al-Smadi was sworn 
in on February 21 as the new Minister.  Awadallah has 
retained responsibility, by order of the King, for monitoring 
all issues related to holding the World Economic Forum in May 
2005 as well as programs of the King Abdullah II Fund for 
Development. 
 
2. (U) Smadi, a Muslim from a family native to Ajloun, had 
served as Secretary-General from May 2004.  Born in 1966, 
Smadi graduated from Yarmouk University with a bachelor,s 
degree in economics. He obtained a master,s degree in 
economics from the University of Jordan and holds a PhD in 
economics from Utah State University, having specialized in 
international trade and development.  From 2000, Smadi held 
various posts at the Planning Ministry, including director of 
the Studies and Policies Department and acting director of 
the Human Resources Department.  He served as the Planning 
Ministry representative on the boards of the Industrial 
Development Bank, the Central Electric Generating Company 
(CEGCO), and the Jordan Investment Board - all posts which he 
has given up as part of his ascent to ministerial rank. 
Previously, he had served in the Central Bank of Jordan and 
the Arab Fund for Socio-Economic Development. 
 
3. (C) Smadi,s promotion helps to broaden the Cabinet,s 
geographical representation: of 28 ministers, he is only the 
fourth from a northern family, and is the only one from the 
Ajloun governorate.  Like several of the other new Cabinet 
ministers from the most recent reshuffle, however, Smadi is 
relatively unseasoned and does not appear to have the 
connections that would make him a major driver of policy 
within the Cabinet.  His performance over the past eight 
months as Secretary-General of the Ministry, his first 
noteworthy position in or out of government, has been 
unremarkable.  Post dealt with him primarily in the context 
of the negotiations over the conditions precedent for the 
USAID cash transfer, in which he was reluctant to make 
commitments on even minor points unless he heard from 
Awadallah.  It is possible that under Awadallah, Smadi may 
have had little opportunity to shine as Secretary-General 
(and with the object lesson of the crash of his talented, 
spirited predecessor Hala Lattouf, Smadi had little incentive 
to test Awadallah's patience with activist deputies).  With 
his more low-key, consultative style, Smadi may avoid some of 
the conflict with which Awadallah was faced; however, his 
lack of Awadallah,s stature and Palace access likely 
represents a decline in the profile of the Ministry of 
Planning.  Awadallah had told Charge prior to the resignation 
that he was pushing for Water Minister Hazem al-Nasser to 
replace him, viewing Nasser as a "true believer" in the 
reform agenda. 
 
4. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
HALE