US embassy cable - 03AMMAN4503

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004503 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE PASS USTR FOR NED SAUMS 
USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/PTHANOS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD, EINV, JO 
SUBJECT: AL TAJAMMOUAT QIZ PLANS BIRTHDAY BASH, U.S. 
INVITES PENDING 
 
 
Sensitive But Unclassified; please protect accordingly. 
 
1.  (u)  Al Tajammouat QIZ park manager Halim Salfiti is 
planning in September to commemorate four years of successful 
QIZ activity at his industrial park.  The event will 
highlight Tajammouat's success at bringing in investment and 
creating local jobs, and will formally inaugurate the 
"village workers" program designed by Salfiti.  Salfiti also 
hopes to use the celebration (and anticipated participation 
by King Abdullah) as a hook to bring major U.S. garment 
buyers and potential investors to Jordan to see the QIZ 
success story.  We will be working with Washington agencies 
to support this event, including possibly encouraging a trade 
and investment delegation to Jordan targeting QIZ businesses. 
 
TAJAMMOUAT TURNS FOUR 
 
2.  (u)  The Al Tajammouat industrial park in south Amman, 
approved by Federal Register notice in October 1999, has been 
the fastest-growing QIZ in Jordan over the past four years. 
According to park management, the park now employs some 
13,000 people, including approximately 8-9,000 Jordanians, 
and claims to have the most invested capital ($150 million) 
and operating firms (23) of any park involved in the 
initiative.  The park, located near the Sahab industrial 
estate and very close to Queen Alia International Airport, 
was also one of the first to attract non-textile business, 
welcoming a West Bank-based jewelry manufacturer in 2001. 
 
3. (u)  Tajammouat has been an innovator in the QIZ 
community.  One of the park's occupants, New York-based 
Cannon County Knitting Mills, has set the standard for labor 
development and community outreach by QIZ factories, and was 
as a result nominated by post for the 2001 Award for 
Corporate Excellence. Park Manager Halim Salfiti launched in 
2002 a "village workers program," which recruits workers from 
poverty-stricken towns in Jordan's south (including Ma'an and 
Tafileh, traditional social unrest hot-spots) to live in 
U.S.-standard dormitories on the QIZ park site and work in 
QIZ factories.  The program has been an unqualified success, 
drawing raves from factory owners, the workers themselves, 
and even the governor of Tafileh.  The program currently 
employs some 400 workers, but Salfiti hopes to double that 
number as soon as additional dormitory space becomes 
available. 
 
LIGHTS, CAMERA, QIZ! 
 
4.  (u)  Salfiti, clearly impressed by the buzz created at 
the Dead Sea World Economic Forum and proud of the park's 
success so far, has decided to commemorate the fourth 
anniversary of the Park's approval with a gala dinner and 
sound and light show that will also serve as an investment 
promotion tool.  Salfiti plans to invite current and 
prospective investors to the event, along with CEO's of major 
U.S. garment buyers.  He has also begun planning with the 
Palace to secure attendance at the dinner by King Abdullah 
and Queen Rania. 
 
5.  (u)  Salfiti hopes to hold the event in mid- to 
late-September, pending the King's availability.  He is 
considering as an alternative holding the event in parallel 
with the Joint Economic Commission meeting to be held in 
Amman in the fall, to use expected high-level USG 
participation in the JEC as a "hook" to encourage 
participation by U.S. garment buyer CEO's.  He has approached 
the Embassy/FCS for assistance with attracting U.S. buyer 
interest in the event. 
 
COMMENT 
 
6.  (sbu)  Salfiti's planned event is very similar to one the 
Embassy tried to help the Jordan Investment Board put 
together in Spring 2002, but which died from lack of 
follow-up on the part of JIB.  Salfiti is much more likely to 
follow through, and has already committed over $100,000 to 
the event and hired an event planner who was involved in the 
Dead Sea WEF to make arrangements.  He is ready to commit 
additional funds and/or fundraise in the QIZ and GOJ 
communities to make this event a success, and needs our help 
to deliver the U.S. buyers. 
 
7.  (u)  We will work with Salfiti and the Palace on 
invitations, and will identify and send support letters from 
the Ambassador to invited CEO's.  We will be in contact with 
interested Washington agencies about supporting this event, 
including possibly inviting CEO's out as a formal trade 
delegation led by an appropriate-level USG representative 
from Commerce or USTR. 
HALE