US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI3475

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 003475 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ARPI, EB/IFD/ODF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, EFIN, PREL, KPAL, TC 
SUBJECT: UAE ASSISTANCE TO THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 146261 
 
     B. ABU DHABI 3404 
     C. ABU DHABI 1673 
     D. ABU DHABI 2946 
 
1. (U) This is an action request.  See paragraph 7. 
 
2. (U) Summary.  This cable is an initial report of some of 
the program aid that the UAE has provided to the 
Palestinians, including the $62 million Sheikh Zayed City, 
the planned $100 million Sheikh Khalifa City, and the $88 
million in project aid that the Red Crescent provided the 
Palestinians from 2000-2003.  Emboffs have asked MFA and Red 
Crescent for a breakdown of UAE assistance and will raise it 
with other UAE aid organizations over the next week.  We will 
report on information received.  End summary. 
 
3. (U) A/DCM raised reftel talking points on August 9 with 
MFA Director for International Organization Yacub Al Hosani 
and requested information on the UAE's aid to the Palestinian 
Authority (PA).  Al Hosani promised to contact all of the 
relevant UAEG departments and said he would try to put 
together a consolidated response.  On the same day, econoff 
met with Saleh Mohammed Al Mulla, Deputy Secretary General 
for Foreign Affairs at the UAE Red Crescent to discuss this 
issue.  Embassy will follow up over the next week with the 
UAEG and relevant aid organizations to develop as full a 
picture as possible. 
 
4. (U)  The UAE channels the majority of its aid directly to 
the Palestinians through one of three quasi-governmental 
charity organizations -- the UAE Red Crescent Authority (RCA 
- relief and project development funded by the UAEG and 
charitable donations), the Abu Dhabi Fund For Development 
(ADDF - project development funded by the Emirate of Abu 
Dhabi), and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Charitable Foundation and 
Humanitarian Trust (MBR Foundation - relief and project 
development funded by Dubai Government officials and 
charitable donations).  The most recent example of a 
completed project is Sheikh Zayed City -- a $62 million 
residential complex north of Gaza that opened in May -- which 
was funded by the ADDF and will be administered by the RCA. 
As noted in ref B, the UAE recently announced plans work with 
UNWRA to construct a $100 million Sheikh Khalifa City in Gaza 
that will house 30,000-40,000 displaced Palestinians. 
 
5. (U) Al Mulla described the Red Crescent's projects in the 
Palestinian Territories and provided documents outlining some 
of its programs.  Al Mulla said that in 2004 the RCA rebuilt 
600 homes in Rafah and worked with the UNWRA to construct 469 
homes in the Jenin camp.  Data for RCA programs in 2004 are 
still being compiled, but according to the Red Crescent's 
most recent annual report, it spent $15,553,000 on health, 
education, and social service projects in Gaza and the West 
Bank during 2003. 
 
6. (U) From 2000 to 2003, the Red Crescent provided 
$88,017,000 in project aid to the Palestinians.  A sampling 
of some of the most significant of these programs is listed 
below (note: the report did not specify the specific year 
within the 2000-2003 timeframe for each project): 
 
HOUSING PROJECTS: 
-- 800 homes reconstructed in Jenin (cost: $27,111,000) 
-- Construction of Sheikh Zayed Suburb in Jerusalem (cost: 
$2,732,000) 
-- 3,500 homes reconstructed in various Palestinian villages 
(cost: $2,732,000) 
 
HEALTHCARE PROJECTS: 
-- Construction of Al Nada Medical Center in Gaza (cost: 
$1,104,000) 
-- Contribution for construction of Rafah Hospital in Gaza 
(contribution: $1,005,000) 
-- Equipping Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Ramallah (contribution: 
$666,000) 
-- Funding salaries of employees in Sheikh Zayed Hospital in 
Ramallah (contribution: $396,000) 
-- Equipping Al Ahli Hospital in Hebron (contribution: 
$274,000) 
-- Constructing and equipping Sheikh Salama Bint Buti 
Ophthalmology Hospital in Nablus (cost: $1,307,000) 
-- Construction of a Handicapped Center in Gaza (cost: 
$1,105,000) 
-- Constriction of the Sheikha Fatima Rehabilitation Center 
in Hebron (cost: $100,500) 
-- Funding for operation of Sheikh Khalifa Handicapped Center 
in Nablus (cost: $502,000) 
 
SCHOOL PROJECTS: 
-- Construction of Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Secondary 
School in Al Mazraa Al Sharikiah (cost: $416,700) 
 
7. (U) Action request: Embassy recommends that Vice President 
Cheney raise this issue with UAE Minister of State for 
Foreign Affairs Sheikh Hamdan during their meeting on the 
10th and that Secretary Rice raise it with him during her 
meeting on the 15th.  Sheikh Hamdan briefed PDAS Cheney on 
the UAE's efforts on behalf of the Palestinians on June 26 
(ref D). 
SISON