US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI3546

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 003546 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2015 
TAGS: ECON, PGOV, EPET, TC 
SUBJECT: DEVELOPMENT AID TO ABU DHABI'S WESTERN REGION 
 
REF: A. ABU DHABI 3241 
 
     B. ABU DHABI 1317 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b & d). 
 
1. (C) Summary:  Abu Dhabi Executive Council members told 
Econchief that the Emirate of Abu Dhabi's western region was 
relatively underdeveloped and poorly served, especially in 
the areas of health care and education.  They were working on 
a plan to improve services and infrastructure in the western 
region, the population of which is largely Emirati.  Their 
stated view was that, given high oil prices, this was an 
appropriate time to address the concerns of western region 
residents.  End Summary 
 
2. (C) During President Khalifa's July 21 to 23 visit to the 
Emirate of Abu Dhabi's western region, he publicly stated his 
intention to improve the infrastructure in the region. 
Econchief met, separately, with Executive Council member 
Khaldoon Al-Mubarak and Executive Council member and U/S of 
the Abu Dhabi Department of Finance Hamad Al-Suwaidi to 
discuss the needs of western region residents and the Emirate 
of Abu Dhabi's plans to address these needs.  Both explained 
that the western region is largely underdeveloped and lacks 
access to government services.  The education and health care 
systems are poor and there are few job opportunities for 
residents.  Al-Suwaidi noted that there are no full-service 
hospitals in the western region, and that aside from a 
teachers college, no institutions of higher education. 
Al-Mubarak explained that western region residents needed to 
travel to Abu Dhabi to pay fines, or to renew licenses or 
passports.    Al-Suwaidi noted that women were especially 
disadvantaged in that there were few jobs available to them 
in the western region, and implied that their ability to 
travel to the city of Abu Dhabi was limited by family and 
social pressures. The goal, therefore, was to improve access 
to services and economic opportunities for the residents. 
 
3. (C) Both stressed the political and moral imperative to 
address western region concerns.  Although the overall 
population is small (around 100,000 according to Al-Mubarak), 
Al-Suwaidi noted that it is largely composed of UAE 
nationals.  Al-Mubarak stressed that President Khalifa is 
committed to helping his people, and added that, with oil at 
over $60 a barrel, the timing was right.  He also commented 
that if the emirate failed to act when it had the funds, the 
situation could "blow-up" in the future.  (Note:  Al-Mubarak 
appeared more concerned about large scale visible disparities 
of wealth breeding resentment than about any imminent 
security risk.  The western region contains Abu Dhabi's main 
onshore oil fields and export terminal and borders Saudi 
Arabia.) 
 
4. (C) Al-Mubarak, who is in charge of directing Abu Dhabi's 
plan for developing the western region, said that it involved 
several factors.  Abu Dhabi would create a municipality for 
the western region, which would be more responsive to the 
needs of the residents.  He added that Abu Dhabi would also 
set up branches of federal ministries to ensure that services 
(such as passport renewals) would be more easily available. 
In addition, the emirate government would build roads, a 
hospital, build and improve schools, and look at ways to 
increase industrial investment in the area. 
 
5. (C) Al-Mubarak emphasized that the plan was still in the 
preliminary stages and he did not have budget estimates for 
the projects yet.  Al-Suwaidi (as the money man) said that he 
did not think the projects would be that expensive, or that 
it would be difficult finding funds. 
 
6. (C) Comment:  President Khalifa is also the ruler of the 
Emirate of Abu Dhabi.  As he settles into his job, he is 
meeting with citizens and trying to address their concerns. 
His highly visible development proposals also help ensure 
that some of the oil windfall makes it to the UAE's poorer 
rural areas, minimizing any grounds for resentment.  End 
Comment. 
SISON