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#44/2/./-7dUNCLAS SECSTATE 1442S4

Lasers:ACTION: CONSINFO: CGLaser2:ACTION: CONSINFO: CGDISSEMINATION: CONSCHARGE: PROGVZCZCJIO953RR RUEHJIDE RUEHC #4264 2322135ZNR UUUUU ZZHR 202129Z AUG 01FM SECSTATE WASHDCTO RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 1464INFO RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH 4104BTUNCLAS STATE 144264F O R A / I I - F R Q M . . . C A A /S M A R Y A . R Y A N

_.....-.--:::::s'9/ll Working-level EmployeeSUBJECT: KUDOSREF: RIYADH 2326....

I I I AM DELIGHTED TO HEAR OF THE SUCCESS OF YOUR NEWVIJJA EXPRESS PROJECT. WHILE THE INITIAL EFFORT TO DESIGNAND IMPLEMENT SUCH A PROGRAM CAN BE CONSIDERABLE,PARTICULARLY IN A LARGE COUNTRY LIKE SAUDI ARABIA, THERESULTS, AS YOU HAVE FOUND, ARE WELL WORTH IT IN TERMS OFGREATER EFFICIENCY, BETTER MANAGEMENT CONTROL, AND LESSSTRESS ON THE NIV STAFF. I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING MOREABOUT VISA EXPRESS, AND PARTICULARLY ABOUT YOUR EFFORTS TOHELP IMPLEMENT THIS CONCEPT AT SOME OF THE SMALLERNEIGHBORING POSTS. IN THE MEANTIME, PLEASE EXTEND MYAPPRECIATION TO THE PROJECT DIRECTOR AND ALL THOSE WHOHELPED LAUNCH THIS CONSULAR BEST PRACTICE. WARM REGARDS.POWELLBT#4264NNNN

UNCLA S SECSTATE 144264

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Ordonez, Miguel AnbeFrom: ISent: Sunday, September .09, 2001 6:01 PMTo: Ordonez, Miguel A(Je'ddah)Subject: 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 haveto go through Visa Express and i don't want to make exceptions a.s i fear that exceptions will becomethe rule and we will be back to doing mountains of data entry. ..best regards. ;:?;''9/ll Working-level EmployeeOriginal Message . . . ; ; "From: Ordonez, Miguel ASenfTo : ISubject: RE more on saudia..?nni 5;14-PM""i.........

"Miguel whatever you did?"! 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. Theywanted a meeting today, but the CDA was in. They wilt meeet with me tomorrow at 3:30 and I will give them acouple weeks to rearrange matters, t understand they have been doing this for decades butj |made anagreement after Visa Express was signed, unbeknownst to us all.

From: I Tibeent: Sunday, September 09, 2001 4:48 PMTo: Ordonez, Miguel A(Jeddah)Subject: more on saudiamiguel -whatever you did has shaken up saudia.mr. talal khudairi, saudia, chief of govt. relations, (tel. 686-4646 in jeddah) called me and we discussedthe 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 casesfor royals, etc. i think youneed to do the same.he also asked that jeddah give him two weeks or so to adjust and send their business through adesignated travel agency, i told himthat theembassy would notoppose such an accomodation and iwould 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 somecontact info for emergency cases (hope he does not abuse this!!), and give him a grace period to hook upwith one or our designated 10 travel agencies?thanks!!

fil f O0

A L

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#4609/09/01 09:14 966 1 4887275 U.S .EMB .CONSULAR

EMBASSY OF THEUNITED STATES OF AMERICA

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIAConsular SectionP. O. Box 94309Riyadh 11693September 9, 2001

Mr. Fahad bin Abdullah Al-AhmadGeneral Manager - Human ResourcesSaudia, Central RegionP.O. Box 2836Riyadh 11461Dear Mr. Al-Ahmad:I appreciate your interest in maintaining a direct relationship with the Embassy for thepurposes of obtaining nonimmigrant visa services. However, on June 1, 2001, the U.S.Mission established the U.S. Visa Express program to provide nonimmigrant visaservices to private persons andbusinesses. After evaluating offers based on a number ofcriteria, the Embassy chose ten travel agencies to act as reception points for applications.The agencies screen the applications for correctness and accuracy, ensure that therequirement documentation is submitted, and enter the applicant's data in Embassysupplied software. These steps greatly facilitate our ability to process applications. Inaddition, applicants canobtain visa services at their ownconvenience without queuing inlong lines in inclement weather. U.S. Department of State regulations are that we areable to use only travel agencies as nonimmigrant visa reception agents.Since establishing U.S. Visa Express, we have strictly maintained our policy of acceptingnonimmigrant visa applications through our designated travel agencies. The onlyexception to this rule hasbeen that we continue to accept applications submitted by SaudiGovernment ministries for official, Saudi Government travel to the U.S. This exceptiondoes not apply to Saudia and other Saudi corporations engaging in economic andcommercial activities that are not inherently governmental in nature.I regret that, in establishing the U.S: Visa Express pro gram, the Embassy and ConsulateGeneral 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 agenciesparticipating in the U.S. Visa Express program which can meet your needs.

Sincerely,

9/11 Working-level Employee'

Consul/Acting Consul General

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Ordonez, Miguel AT _ I I ' _ " ' . " . ' . - 9/11 Working-level Emp loy e eSubject: Saud ia Meeting |\ 1

Ahlan wa sahlan y bienvenidos a Arabia Saudita. I hope that your flight was smooth and that you have gottensome sleep since your arrival in the Kingdom. |I have a big issue for you right off the bat. ;Talal Al Khoudari Executive Representative Human Resources (Governmental Affairs). Abdurrahman Ayeid Al-Mafk (Secton Manager HR Benefits and Services) and translator Mohsmmed Hamid from SaudiAmhlrTn Airh??Office in Jeddah metwith me and an FSNyesterday , 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 VisaExpress. i \t appears that som ething was lost in thrommunteated to me in his e-mail on the 9th. They indicated to me that they had not agreed to. nor had anydeSre to^mplo?SVisa Express service and that Saudia should beexempt from the travel agency programRequirement as they still had not been privatized, and were stilt a government entity a part of the Ministry ofDetente an d Civil Aviation. Senior R oyal Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Defense and D eputy CrownPrince (#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 andwill mostliSbe (SSyou soon for a meeting to personally deliver it to you and discuss the issue. They may well fly intoRiyadh to deliver an d discuss it with you, as they place great importance on this issue.For the record Saudi Arab ian Airlines has been bringing the passports of their em ployees to the Consulate inJeddahSentyyears or so. They have also been doing the data input through RDS since Visa Expressstarted, and generally have kept clean, although they have occasionally put in a passport for a non-SaudiaemployeeThe FAA office here as well as other o fficers and FSNs have told me that because of our long-standing goodrelationship SaSdShas occasionally "bumped" paying custome rs off a flight in order to meet an emerge ncy US GneedI 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 exten t than in Latin America After my meetingwit?Saudia vesterdav and in light of a senior royal's interest in this matter, and in further light of the current stateo US^Saud,ySonsyi havenoobjection to having Jeddah continue the two decade relationship with Saud.a andfettinq them continue to bring in their employees' passports to the consulate here you m ay wish to tell them thatal sludfavisas 3 bei handled by Riyadh as Jeddah is by far the bigger office.) If you concur, you may mentionto thlSTthattheywill beheld strictly accountable to submitting only Saudi employees passports - not enterta.nmgany 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 USConsulate General in Jeddah and Saudia and a lot of upside if it is continued. I think we can hold off any otherpotential comers with the appropriate diplomatic language.Again welcome. Please call me a tX4 1 2S in Jeddah when you can and if you have any questions about thismatter I would like to go to Riyadh and also have yo u visit Jeddah at the earliest possible time.Respectfully submitted,Miguel O rdonezConsulJeddah. KSA

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