T5 B71 Saudi Visa Policy 1 Of 2 Fdr- Aug 01 To 9-11-01 Cable-letter-emails Re Visa Express (paperclipped) 616

#44 UNCLAS Lasers: ACTION: INFO: Laser2: ACTION: INFO:

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CONS CG CONS CG

DISSEMINATION: CONS CHARGE: PROG VZCZCJIO953 RR RUEHJI DE RUEHC #4264 2322135 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 202129Z AUG 01 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 1464 INFO RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH 4104 BT UNCLAS STATE 144264

FOR A/I

I-FRQM...CA A/S MARY A. RYAN _.....-.--:::::s'9/ll Working-level Employee

SUBJECT : KUDOS REF: RIYADH 2326.... I I I AM DELIGHTED TO HEAR OF THE SUCCESS OF YOUR NEW VIJJA EXPRESS PROJECT. WHILE THE INITIAL EFFORT TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT SUCH A PROGRAM CAN BE CONSIDERABLE, PARTICULARLY IN A LARGE COUNTRY LIKE SAUDI ARABIA, THE RESULTS, AS YOU HAVE FOUND, ARE WELL WORTH IT IN TERMS OF GREATER EFFICIENCY, BETTER MANAGEMENT CONTROL, AND LESS STRESS ON THE NIV STAFF. I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE ABOUT VISA EXPRESS, AND PARTICULARLY ABOUT YOUR EFFORTS TO HELP IMPLEMENT THIS CONCEPT AT SOME OF THE SMALLER NEIGHBORING POSTS. IN THE MEANTIME, PLEASE EXTEND MY APPRECIATION TO THE PROJECT DIRECTOR AND ALL THOSE WHO HELPED LAUNCH THIS CONSULAR BEST PRACTICE. WARM REGARDS. POWELL BT #4264 NNNN

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#45

Ordonez, Miguel A From:

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Sent: To: Subject:

nbe .09, 2001 6:01 PM Sunday, September Ordonez, Miguel A(Je'ddah) RE: more on saudia

i wrote it and signed it. though it was quite effective, .all in one page. no problem, my comment to you was meant in a gesting. manner. Charlie can take the heat. i just hope the new CG will hold the line. Saudia and Aramaco. are vying for first in line to not have to go through Visa Express and i don't want to make exceptions a.s i fear that exceptions will become the rule and we will be back to doing mountains of data entry. .. best regards. ;:? ; ''9/ll Working-level Employee Original Message From: Ordonez, Miguel A Senf To: I Subject: RE more on saudia

"Miguel whatever you did?"!

...••;;••" .. ?nni 5;14-PM"" i .........

Ivou signed the letter.

I told him that it was an issue that had been decided in Riyadh an dthey would have to deal with Riyadh. They wanted a meeting today, but the CDA was in. They wilt meeet with me tomorrow at 3:30 and I will give them a couple weeks to rearrange matters, t understand they have been doing this for decades butj |made an agreement after Visa Express was signed, unbeknownst to us all. From: I Sent: Sunday, September Tibe 09, 2001 4:48 PM To: Ordonez, Miguel A(Jeddah) Subject: more on saudia

miguel whatever you did has shaken up saudia. mr. talal khudairi, saudia, chief of govt. relations, (tel. 686-4646 in jeddah) called me and we discussed the issue of saudia conning directly to the Emb and CG in detail for about 30 minutes with translation. he finally came over to our way of thinking when i offered to be here for him if he had an emergency cases for royals, etc. i think you need to do the same. he also asked that jeddah give him two weeks or so to adjust and send their business through a designated travel agency, i told him that the embassy would not oppose such an accomodation and i would ask you to consider it favorably. can you give him a call, express regrets that we can no longer have a direct relationship, give him some contact info for emergency cases (hope he does not abuse this!!), and give him a grace period to hook up with one or our designated 10 travel agencies? thanks!!

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#46 09/09/01

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©966 1 4887275

U.S.EMB.CONSULAR

EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA

Consular Section P. O. Box 94309 Riyadh 11693 September 9, 2001 Mr. Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Ahmad General Manager - Human Resources Saudia, Central Region P.O. Box 2836 Riyadh 11461 Dear Mr. Al-Ahmad: I appreciate your interest in maintaining a direct relationship with the Embassy for the purposes of obtaining nonimmigrant visa services. However, on June 1, 2001, the U.S. Mission established the U.S. Visa Express program to provide nonimmigrant visa services to private persons and businesses. After evaluating offers based on a number of criteria, the Embassy chose ten travel agencies to act as reception points for applications. The agencies screen the applications for correctness and accuracy, ensure that the requirement documentation is submitted, and enter the applicant's data in Embassy supplied software. These steps greatly facilitate our ability to process applications. In addition, applicants can obtain visa services at their own convenience without queuing in long lines in inclement weather. U.S. Department of State regulations are that we are able to use only travel agencies as nonimmigrant visa reception agents. Since establishing U.S. Visa Express, we have strictly maintained our policy of accepting nonimmigrant visa applications through our designated travel agencies. The only exception to this rule has been that we continue to accept applications submitted by Saudi Government ministries for official, Saudi Government travel to the U.S. This exception does not apply to Saudia and other Saudi corporations engaging in economic and commercial activities that are not inherently governmental in nature. I regret that, in establishing the U.S: Visa Express pro gram, the Embassy and Consulate General had to terminate long-standing arrangements with a number of Saudi enterprises. However, I am certain that Saudia will find a corporate partner among the travel agencies participating in the U.S. Visa Express program which can meet your needs. Sincerely,

9/11 Working-level Employee' Consul/Acting Consul General

#48

Ordonez, Miguel A _ Subject:

T

I Saudia Meeting

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9/11 Working-level Employee |\ 1

Ahlan wa sahlan y bienvenidos a Arabia Saudita. I hope that your flight was smooth and that you have gotten some sleep since your arrival in the Kingdom. | I have a big issue for you right off the bat.

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Talal Al Khoudari Executive Representative Human Resources (Governmental Affairs). Abdurrahman Ayeid AlMafk (Secton Manager HR Benefits and Services) and translator Mohsmmed Hamid from Saudi AmhlrTn Airh?? Office in Jeddah met with me and an FSN yesterday, September 10 in my office as a,follow-up toL_^ —| lettero!"slptembS 9 and their subsequent follow-up phone call to him regarding their,,future participation in Visa Express. i \t appears that something was lost in the rommunteated to me in his e-mail on the 9th. They indicated to me that they had not agreed to. nor had any deSre to^mplo? SI Visa Express service and that Saudia should be exempt from the travel agency program Requirement as they still had not been privatized, and were stilt a government entity a part of the Ministry of Detente and Civil Aviation. Senior Royal Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Defense and Deputy Crown Prince (#3 in the Saudi hierarchy) is the chairman of Saudia. Thev will be writing a letter signed by Dr. Hatim S. Abuljadael, Vice President for Human Resources and will most liS be (SlS you soon for a meeting to personally deliver it to you and discuss the issue. They may well fly into Riyadh to deliver and discuss it with you, as they place great importance on this issue. For the record Saudi Arabian Airlines has been bringing the passports of their employees to the Consulate in Jeddah Senty years or so. They have also been doing the data input through RDS since Visa Express started, and generally have kept clean, although they have occasionally put in a passport for a non-Saudia employee The FAA office here as well as other officers and FSNs have told me that because of our long-standing good relationship SaSdS has occasionally "bumped" paying customers off a flight in order to meet an emergency USG needI There isfa long term positive reason to keep the relationship open, as Saudi flights are often overbooked. In this country everything is "personalismo" to an even greater extent than in Latin America After my meeting wit?Saudia vesterdav and in light of a senior royal's interest in this matter, and in further light of the current state o US^Saud,ySonsyi havenoobjection to having Jeddah continue the two decade relationship with Saud.a and fettinq them continue to bring in their employees' passports to the consulate here you may wish to tell them that al sludfavisas 3 bei handled by Riyadh as Jeddah is by far the bigger office.) If you concur, you may mention to thlSTthatthey•will be held strictly accountable to submitting only Saudi employees passports - not enterta.nmg any end runs around the Visa Express system. There is a lot of "down side" to terminating the special relationship that has been developed between the US Consulate General in Jeddah and Saudia and a lot of upside if it is continued. I think we can hold off any other potential comers with the appropriate diplomatic language. Again welcome. Please call me atX412S in Jeddah when you can and if you have any questions about this matter I would like to go to Riyadh and also have you visit Jeddah at the earliest possible time. Respectfully submitted, Miguel Ordonez Consul Jeddah. KSA

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