US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI2641

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 002641 
 
SIPDIS 
 
S/S-O PLEASE PASS NEA A/S BURNS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/ARN AND NEA/ENA 
 
NSC FOR THEROUX 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/03/08 
TAGS: PREL, EPET, EAID, PGOV, JO, MO, SA, KU, TC 
SUBJECT:  UAE TO SUPPORT JORDAN OIL NEEDS FOR 
THREE MORE MONTHS, PROVIDED $40 
MILLION TO RABAT AFTER TERROR ATTACKS 
 
REF:  Abu Dhabi 1384 
 
1. (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba 
for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). 
 
2. (C) MFA Minstate Hamdan bin Zayid contacted the 
Ambassador on June 2 to convey information about 
the UAEG's ongoing assistance to Jordan and 
Morocco.  With regard to Jordan, Hamdan reported 
that the UAE has agreed to continue supporting 
Jordan's oil needs for the next three months. 
Hamdan indicated the level of support would 
continue to be the cash equivalent of 25,000 
barrels per day.  The UAE began helping to fill 
Jordan's oil needs at the outbreak of hostilities 
with Iraq in March.  While the Jordanians, in 
recent representations to the UAE, asked for 
support to cover the next year, Hamdan advised that 
the UAE, due to its own financial crunch, would 
only be able to provide assistance for the next 
three months. 
 
3. (C) Hamdan also informed the Ambassador that, 
following the terror attacks in Casablanca, the 
UAEG provided $40 million in cash assistance to 
Morocco.  The Moroccans intend to use the money to 
purchase much needed equipment.  The Emiratis have 
asked the Moroccans to provide an accounting for 
the money spent.  Hamdan confided that he had told 
his Kuwaiti and Saudi counterparts the UAE's 
donation was $80 million, in an effort to encourage 
them to give more.  He wanted to make sure that the 
USG knew the real UAE contribution, in the event 
that this is raised with us. 
 
4. (C) COMMENT:  Jordan and Morocco both enjoy 
extremely close ties to the UAE.  The Emiratis have 
long felt it important to provide economic 
assistance and support to these two moderate Arab 
states.  The fact that Abu Dhabi is offering cash 
assistance, vice assistance-in-kind, is a measure 
of just how close these ties are since the Emiratis 
usually balk at writing checks.  The UAE's strong 
official ties with Jordan and Morocco are bolstered 
by personal relationships between the ruling 
families. Jordanian King Abdullah II is a close 
friend of UAE Armed Forces Chief of Staff Muhammad 
bin Zayid Al-Nahyan (MbZ).  The two frequently hunt 
-- in Morocco and Tanzania -- joined, more often 
than not, by England's Prince Andrew.  The ties 
with the Moroccan monarch are equally warm.  Shaykh 
Zayid and other Emirati ruling family members 
maintain vacation palaces in Morocco and have 
poured money into assistance projects there.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
WAHBA