US embassy cable - 91RIYADH7560

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 07560 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/B 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL: OADR 
TAGS:  PINR, SA 
SUBJECT:  PARTING BIO NOTES 
 
1.  (CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT). 
 
2.  THE FOLLOWING ARE BIO ODDS AND ENDS IMPARTED BY 
EMBOFFS TO INR/B TDYER DURING HIS JULY 7 TO SEPTEMBER 4 
STAY IN THE KINGDOM.  THEY ARE PASSED ON TO INTERESTED 
WASHINGTON ANALYSTS FOR THEIR USE. 
 
3.  IN AN EARLY JULY 1991 MEETING BETWEEN KING FAHD AND 
VISITING CODEL STEVE SOLARZ, THE CONGRESSMAN 
CONGRATULATED THE KING ON HIS RECENT WEIGHT LOSS (PERHAPS 
NOW AS MUCH AS 100 POUNDS).  FAHD RESPONDED IN ENGLISH, 
"ALL I CAN EAT IS RICE THAT'S BOILED THREE TIMES.  DO YOU 
KNOW WHAT THAT TASTES LIKE?  IT'S LIKE SHREDDED CARDBOARD|" 
 
4.  CROWN PRINCE 'ABDULLAH, A TRUE BEDOUIN AT HEART, WAS 
WHOLLY DISTRUSTFUL OF MODERN MEDICINE UNTIL HIS HEART 
ATTACK.  SINCE BEING TOLD THAT HE MUST EXERCISE AND WATCH 
HIS DIET, HOWEVER, HE SWIMS THREE LAPS IN HIS POOL EVERY 
MORNING AND WALKS BRISKLY FOR 45 MINUTES EVERY EVENING, 
ALTHOUGH HIS PHYSICAL APPEARANCE DOES NOT APPROACH THE 
NEWFOUND ROSY GLOW OF THE KING. 
 
5.  FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD AL-FAYSAL HAS A HUGE AQUARIUM 
IN HIS HOME.  WHEN AN EMBOFF COMPLIMENTED HIS WIFE ON IT, 
SHE REPLIED THAT THE PRINCE SPENT TOO MUCH TIME LOOKING 
AT THE FISH "WHEN HE SLEEPS HERE."  IN ADDITION TO HIS 
MANY NIGHTS ON THE ROAD IN SERVICE TO THE KINGDOM, SAUD 
APPARENTLY HAS AN EGYPTIAN MISTRESS WHOM HE FREQUENTLY 
FLIES INTO THE KINGDOM ON HIS PRIVATE JET. 
 
6.  PRINCESS SARA BINT FAYSAL BIN SALMAN BIN MUHAMMAD BIN 
SAUD AL-KABIR, A 22-YEAR-OLD STUDENT AT KING SAUD 
UNIVERSITY, IS THE OWNER OF THE ASAF INTERNATIONAL 
ESTABLISHMENT, AN ORGANIZATION THAT DEALS IN LUXURY 
SPORTS CARS.  PRINCESS SARA ANNOUNCED IN JULY 1991 THAT 
SHE WILL ALSO ENTER THE REALM OF THE "FUNCTIONAL" USED 
CAR SO THAT THE AVERAGE SAUDI WILL BE ABLE TO AFFORD ONE. 
 
FREEMAN