US embassy cable - 05JEDDAH2183

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 002183 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, PARIS FOR ZEYA, RIYADH PLEASE PASS TO 
DHAHRAN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, KWMN, SOCI, KLAB, Women in Saudi Arabia 
SUBJECT: JEDDAH CONTACTS FOCUS ON A VARIETY OF WOMEN'S 
ISSUES 
 
Classified By: ACTING CONSUL GENERAL CAROL KALIN 
FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (U)  Several high-level Jeddah contacts have recently 
shared with Post information shedding light on the current 
social situation of women in the Western Province and, to 
some extent, the Kingdom as a whole. 
 
OPTIONS DISCUSSED AHEAD OF POSSIBLE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WOMEN 
WILL DRIVE 
 
2. (C)  Coinciding with a recent groundswell of speculation 
in local media regarding the perennial issue of women being 
given the right to drive, Consulate contacts suggest that the 
SAG will issue permission to do so in the near future. 
However, many, including the vice president of the Kingdom's 
civil aviation agency, say that the right will come with 
several significant restrictions: among them that only 
married women or women over the age of 35 will be permitted 
to drive; that women will only be able to drive in certain 
colored cars, with white appearing to be the favored color; 
and that women will only be able to drive within city limits, 
at certain times, and in certain lanes.  One Western diplomat 
suggested that female diplomats will not be held to the above 
restrictions. 
 
3. (C)  Whatever the curbs, allowing women to drive will be 
nothing short of revolutionary in this conservative Muslim 
society.  Currently, women must rely on male relatives or 
drivers to chauffeur them around, causing considerable 
expense for those who can afford the luxury of an additional 
car and driver; dislocations in productivity caused by the 
misallocation of resources (such as the inability to commute 
at will or reliance on male family members to serve as 
drivers when they could be engaged in more profitable 
endeavors); and severe restrictions on basic freedoms of 
movement for those who cannot afford these resources.  The 
potential loss of income to the mostly-expatriate pool of 
current drivers will be no less profound.  As the SAG's 
efforts to mandate more hiring of Saudis across all sectors 
grow, such foreign workers will find it more and more 
difficult to find work in other areas.  However, the 
recapture of salaries formerly paid to, and mostly 
repatriated by, these workers will have a considerable impact 
on the Saudi economy. 
 
WOMEN MAKING GAINS IN CERTAIN SECTORS OF THE WORK FORCE 
 
4. (C)  According to Dr. Nadia Baeshen, head of the Jeddah 
Chamber of Commerce & Industry's (JCCI) Women's Business 
Center, jobs in women's retail clothing and cosmetic 
establishments will soon be open to women.  Until now, 
employment in positions such as women's lingerie shops has 
been generally (and ironically) limited to men.  However, in 
a recent meeting with the Governor of Mecca, Prince Abdul 
Majeed bin Abdul Aziz, Baeshen was successful in convincing 
the Governorate to issue permits to the Chamber to begin 
training women from the Western Region for these jobs. 
According to Baeshen, Prince Abdul Majeed authorized funding 
of nearly $750,000.00 for the project, an amount she said 
that will cover training for thousands of potential workers. 
She added that the initial training will be completed no 
later than January when the first women will begin work in 
the clothing establishments.  Asked why she did not press for 
a broader entree for women into other sectors, Baeshen 
remarked that a series of small victories in women's 
commercial enfranchisement will create a critical mass for 
overall change, whereas pushing for wholesale reform will 
undoubtedly backfire and possibly set women back 20 years. 
 
BUT WOMEN'S INCLUSION MAY BE CAUSE OF DELAY OF OPENING 
CEREMONIES AT JEDDAH FESTIVAL 
 
5. (C)  According to a board member of the JCCI and the 
Director General of the MFA in the Western Region, Dr. Abdul 
Aziz Al Suweigh, the opening night of the 2005 Jeddah Summer 
Festival will be postponed or canceled due to the anticipated 
presence of women at the ceremonies.  In a conversation with 
the CG, the Chamber representative, Muhammad Abu Al Jadayel, 
sounded apologetic but said that, in a break from past 
tradition, women would not be permitted at this year's 
ceremonies.  According to the JCCI official this was a clear 
decision by the Governor of Jeddah, Prince Mishal, and is 
aimed presumably at avoiding conflict with the area's 
conservative religious authorities.  According to Suweigh, 
several diplomatic Missions expressed interest in once again 
having their representatives, many of whom are women, attend 
the function.  However, he said, the organizers called off 
the planned June 29th night ceremonies rather than disinvite 
female attendees. 
 
6. (C)  By contrast, Prince Abdul Majeed, the Governor of 
Mecca, separately told the CG that the opening ceremony would 
be canceled or scaled back due to the poor health of King 
Fahd.  In fact, the Saudi Gazette reported on July 2 that 
organizers held a relatively low key affair on the morning of 
June 30 to inaugurate the festivities.  The report, which 
stated that "tourism officials, princes, and dignitaries" 
attended the opening, did not specify that any women were in 
attendance.  Reportedly, the festival itself has been delayed 
a week due to technical problems.  The annual summer 
festival, which the city celebrates nightly through August, 
is intended to showcase to a broad audience (including via 
television) the more attractive qualities of life in Jeddah. 
 
Visit Consulate General Jeddah's SIPRnet Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/jeddah 
KALIN