US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI3241

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 003241 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/23/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, EPET, TC 
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT KHALIFA IN ABU DHABI'S WESTERN REGION 
 
REF: A. ABU DHABI 1317 
     B. ABU DHABI 1152 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR MICHELE J. SISON, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) Summary: President Khalifa traveled to the less 
advantaged Western Region of Abu Dhabi Emirate July 21-23 to 
fulfill the traditional practice of the ruler meeting with 
tribal leaders, but also to inform residents about planned 
infrastructure upgrades.  Khalifa may be using such visits 
around the country to slowly, but deliberately, consult with 
citizens as he considers the road to greater political 
participation.  End Summary. 
 
2. (U) President Khalifa met with residents of Abu Dhabi 
Emirate's Western Region in his palace in Liwa July 21-23, as 
part of an ongoing effort to reach out to the country's 
different geographic constituencies and hear their concerns, 
grievances, and requests for assistance.  Press coverage of 
Khalifa's "Open Door" program in Liwa consisted of photos of 
Khalifa and his entourage greeting his constituents, and 
noted that nationals from all parts of the Western Region 
came to talk to him.  Khalifa told his audiences that he 
wanted to keep the same open door policy as his father, the 
late President Sheikh Zayed, who would hold direct meetings 
with citizens and their families to follow up on their 
situation and provide basic services for them.  The press 
reported that Khalifa had expressed support for 
infrastructure projects in the region and reassured citizens 
of his interest in providing good and dignified living 
conditions for them and their families.  The President urged 
Western Region residents to continue working and contributing 
to their country.  The press noted the grievances were 
related to services and amenities in towns and villages. 
 
3. (C) The purpose of Khalifa's visit appears to track with 
what Abu Dhabi Executive Council member Khaldoon Al Mubarak 
had told us last March about a plan he was directing for 
developing the less advantaged Western Region of the emirate 
of Abu Dhabi.  He said the plan includes upgrades to 
infrastructure and services as well as the establishment of 
local councils (ref A), although the issue of broadening 
political participation was not part of Khalifa's most recent 
visit to Liwa.  (Note: In ref B, we also reported that 
Minister for Presidential Affairs Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed 
had told Ambassador March 12 that the UAEG would be 
initiating consultations with Western Region leaders about 
broadening political participation through representative 
municipal councils.  End note). 
 
4. (C) UAE academic Dr. Fatema Al Sayegh told Political 
Assistant July 25 that President Khalifa's visit to the 
Western Region was significant because Liwa is the ruling Al 
Nahyan family's ancestral land.  She said that it was 
important for Khalifa to secure the support of the original 
Beduins, including his wife's Al Mazrouie tribe.  Al Sayegh 
said that this tradition of keeping in personal touch with 
the people is "the real democracy for these people."  She 
said the visit may have had a political dimension, given 
Saudi land claims in the Liwa area.  Khalifa may have used 
the visit to confirm that this region belongs to the UAE and 
that its people are completely loyal to him and the UAE 
nation.  Al Sayegh said she doubted Khalifa would have 
consulted the tribal leaders about broadening political 
participation.  She described the people of the region as 
being very simple and unconcerned about, and unaware of, 
politics.  Their principal concerns are the availability of 
water for their lands, roads, and other facilities to make 
their lives easier. 
 
5. (U) The Western Region of Abu Dhabi Emirate begins 
approximately 50 kilometers from the city of Abu Dhabi and 
stretches south and west to the Saudi border.  The 
administrative region consists of 52 villages and an 
administrative capital, Zayed City.  The senior official who 
reports to Khalifa is Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed Al Qubaysi, 
formally known as the Ruler's Representative to the Western 
Region.  A largely desert region, the emirate is engaged in 
some forestry on some 250,000 acres.  The Western Region is 
also home to the UAE's main onshore oil fields and largest 
oil refinery, located in Ruwais.  Many of the 30,000 people 
of Ruwais work for the state oil company ADNOC.  Liwa, where 
the President held his meetings, is a summer resort with a 
luxurious hotel, an oasis, and farms.  Marfa, another Western 
Region town, has a desalination plant and a power plant. 
 
6. (C) Comment: President Khalifa's visit to the Western 
Region of Abu Dhabi Emirate was comparable to the traditional 
tribal practice of the ruler going out to meet his people. 
This outreach could have been a preview of the way Khalifa 
intends to approach UAE citizens on the issue of widening 
political participation in Abu Dhabi Emirate, and eventually 
to the other emirates.  End comment. 
SISON