Reference ID: 03ABUDHABI2641
 Created: 2003-06-03 12:12 
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
 Origin Embassy Abu Dhabi 
 
 
To:       No Action Addressee                                    
 
Action:   Unknown                                               
 
From:     AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 2641 - UNKNOWN)        
 
TAGS:     PREL, EPET, EAID, PGOV                                
 
Captions: None                                                   
 
Subject:  UAE TO SUPPORT JORDAN OIL NEEDS FOR THREE MORE MONTHS,  PROVIDED $40 MILLION TO RABAT AFTER TERROR ATTACKS    
 
APPROVED: AMB:MMWAHBA
DRAFTED: POL:STWILLIAMS
CLEARED: A/DCM:TEWILLIAMS; ECON:CMCRUMPLER
VZCZCADI319
OO RUEHC RUEHAM RUEHRB RUEHRH RUEHKU RHEHNSC
RUEAIIA RHEFDIA RUCJACC
DE RUEHAD #2641 1541250
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 031250Z JUN 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0227
INFO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 0446
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 0279
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 1263
RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT 0863
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCJ2/POLAD//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
 
EO 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