Nader Dahabi
From AICbackground
aka "Nader al-Dahabi" and "Nader al-Dhabi"
Prime Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Source: Photo from Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images, http://www.daylife.com/photo/02Uia026yY2ju, no copyright listed.
Quotes
"I think the most important issue...for the stability of Jordan is the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict...not only for Jordan, but the whole region."
--Statement at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East on 19 May 08, Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
"We have to see [the Israelis] building bridges and not building barriers and walls. If they do this, than I think we are on the right track for the security of Jordan."
--Statement at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East on 19 May 08, Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
Early Years and Education
You were born in Amman, Jordan on October 7, 1946. Hailing from a well-off family, you graduated from al-Hussein College of Amman in 1964 and began a career as a Royal Jordanian Air Force officer. Shortly thereafter, you left for Greece where you attended and graduated from the Greek Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering. Your foreign schooling continued later in your career with a Masters degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the United Kingdom's Cranfield Institute of Technology and finally a Masters degree in Public Administration from Auburn University in the United States. You also attended several military training courses in the United States representing Jordan. In 1992, you received promotion to Assistant Commander of the Royal Jordanian Air Force and remained in that position until your retirement in 1994.
However, you were hardly retiring as the King tapped you to become chief executive officer (CEO) of Royal Jordanian Airlines, Jordan's flag-carrying airline. Royal Jordanian did well under your watch, which lasted until 2001. In fact, it was under your leadership that the airline prepared itself for privatization, a shrewd economic decision that has literally paid huge dividends for the company and for the government of Jordan. Additionally, you served as president of the International Air Transport Association from 1996-1997 bringing international recognition to Jordan as leader of this very influential transportation organization (all the major airlines in the world are members).
Public Life
In 2001, the recently ascended King Abdullah II (he became King in 1999), picked you to become the Minister of Transportation for the Hashemite Kingdom. You were certainly well-prepared for this position, and as the new chief of transportation, you oversaw the privatization of Royal Jordanian Airlines from the government's perspective. In 2004, the King shuffled his ministers (not an uncommon occurrence in Jordan) and he appointed you as the Chairman of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA). Some viewed this assignment as unfavorable and a demotion, but you seized the opportunity to help Jordan create a Dubai-like business and tourist destination in the Red Sea port city. You were the driving force in developing the ASEZ as a duty-free (tax & tariff free) import and export point for domestic and international businesses. Despite losing tariff income, the ASEZ--along with other pro-business mechanisms like the Jordan-US Free Trade Agreement (which you also played a role in while still CEO of Royal Jordanian Airlines)--helped create an unprecedented boon in the Jordanian economy.
In November 2007, the King appointed you Prime Minister of Jordan. In this role, you are the King's "point man" (some would demeaningly say, "figure-head"). You are not the Head of State or even the Head of Government, as many premiers in the world can claim but you are still a very important person in Jordan's government and by extension, the Middle East. You are in charge of all the ministers in the government and are the King's direct representative to both houses of the Jordanian parliament. When you speak, you speak with the authority of the King. That being said, you are very careful with your words so that you do not get into trouble with the King. You meet with the King on a daily basis and are considered one of his closest advisors. Additionally, you wear the second hat of being the Minister of Defense. Finally, you know your family is well-connected given your brother is commander of all Jordan's internal security forces.
Domestic Issues of Concern
Jordan is a nation of few natural resources. It does not share in the oil wealth of many of its Middle Eastern neighbors. This means Jordan must import raw materials to manufacture into consumer products--an expensive proposition. Therefore, Jordan is primarily a service-based economy. By nature, service-based economies are fragile as they cannot fall back on manufacturing or other sectors if the economy sours. So your first priority is keeping Jordan's currently strong economy on the right track. This is by no means an easy task for two significant, and inter-related, reasons. The first is your country is situated in a bad neighborhood. You have conflict on nearly all of your borders. Little if any of the conflict directly involves Jordan, but proximity to such calamity is not reassuring to international businesses who would otherwise like to invest in Jordan. It goes without saying that you challenge this notion on a daily basis. Second, Jordan's proximity and hospitality (some would say to a fault) have made it the largest refugee haven in the Middle East and one of the largest in the entire world. Palestinian and Iraqi refugees comprise the largest contigents and they are a tremendous burden on an otherwise small population trying to make the most of its limited resources.
This sets the stage for the balancing act you must contend with on a daily basis. How do you keep Jordan's economy on an upward trajectory in a tumultuous neighborhood with huge populations of refugees already in your country (and many more still trying to get in) and all of them needing jobs? It is important to note that Palestinian refugees are allowed to compete for jobs in Jordan while the current policy prohibits Iraqi refugees from attaining jobs. All the while, you and your fellow ministers (especially your foreign minister, Salah al-Bashir) must continually work to find resolution to all of these conflicts so that you can attract more foreign investment, put an end to the ever-increasing refugee populations, and potentially even try to return many refugees to their homelands.
Policies and Beliefs Pertaining to the Middle East
Like your King who appointed you, you are an optimist and a realist. You must be to live in your neighborhood. You see opportunity in Palestine for peace, especially if the two sides can come to agreement over a two-state solution which Jordan supports completely. You are convinced that all other problems in the Middle East stem from the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, and that a resolution there will lead to peace throughout the Middle East, allowing Jordan and the region to prosper. However, being a realist as well, you know that there is not a wand that can be waved over the situation to be magically improved. You believe that the Palestinians and most of the Arab nations have gone to great lengths to provide Israel with the assurances it needs to agree to the two-state solution and return Palestine to the pre-1967 partition. Therefore, you believe the ball is in Israel's court to initiate the process. However, you do not believe the Israelis are going to make any moves until they feel sufficient pressure from international sources, in particular, the United States. You know that the US has been the de facto guarantor of the Israeli state since 1967 and until that nation decides to play an even hand in the region, then no solution will come to fruition. That being said, Jordan and the US are very close and you do not want to do anything that may upset this relationship.
Like King Abdullah II, you are a staunch anti-Islamist and believe those groups--Hamas and Hezbollah among them--are deliberately opposed to any productive outcome to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. In the short time you've been in office, you have already pushed a sweeping law through your parliament limiting the freedom these groups have to voice public disent in Jordan. You were extremely disappointed in Hamas' actions in inciting violence in the Gaza Strip back in May and June of 2007 and their subsequent breaking from the Palestinian "Unity" government with Fatah. In your opinion, the last thing the region needed was Hamas playing violent and deadly games with their own people, thus giving Israel (and the US) an opportunity to delay progress towards a two-state solution. Suffice it to say, your government will do all in its power to cut groups like these off at their knees, both internally in Jordan and externally in the region. Further, as a realist, you know that any lasting peace in the region will only be achieved by marginalizing groups like Hamas.
Role Playing Notes
Your government is viewed as a key arbitrator in the process. You must be even-handed (with the exception of your stance on Hamas and Hezbollah) with all sides. You are one of two Arab nations that are at peace with Israel (the other being Egypt) and therefore you have direct access to their leaders to help persuade them to negotiate. Likewise, with the largest Palestinian population outside of Israel, you also have tremendous influence with the Palestinian Authority leadership. Use this unique position to leverage both sides to your bidding. Additionally, the US (any many of the other Western nations) view your government as the most stable and fair of all of the Arab countries. Again, use this perception to leverage their support in putting pressure on the Israelis to go to the table with meaningful compromise on their agenda. Finally, many of the other Arab countries look to King Abdullah II and your government for cues in negotiations and in dealing with the Palestinian Authority. A key issue where you can help assuage the concerns of the Israelis is by committing other Arab nations to help train Palestinian police forces to properly patrol and secure their borders. Curiously, your nation is one of the few who have committed to support this action at this time.
References
1. Prime Ministry, http://www.pm.gov.jo/english/, the official website of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
2. The Stability Session at the World Economic Fund on the Middle East, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc9mjQ_4cUo, YouTube, 19 May 08.
3. Fresh Strategies for Stability?, http://www.weforum.org/en/knowledge/Events/2008/WorldEconomicForumontheMiddleEast/KN_SESS_SUMM_25254?url=/en/knowledge/Events/2008/WorldEconomicForumontheMiddleEast/KN_SESS_SUMM_25254, The World Economic Fund on the Middle East, 19 May 08.
4. Jordan King 'appoints new PM', http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7108151.stm, BBC News, 22 Nov 07.
5. Jordan's King Names Technocrat New PM, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/23/AR2007112300044.html, The Washington Post, 23 Nov 07.
6. Jordan enacts laws restricting demonstrations, NGOs, http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1214726178420&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull, The Jerusalem Post, 01 Jul 08.
7. Jordan's king swears in new government, http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKL2517232920071125?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews, Reuters, 25 Nov 07.
8. Biography for Nader Al-Dahabi, http://www.silobreaker.com/FactSheetReader.aspx?Item=5_793287180, Silobreaker, 22 Nov 07.
9. OPIC Opens Conference on Investment in the Middle East, http://www.opic.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/pr050608.asp, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, 06 May 08.
10. Nader al-Dahabi, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nader_al-Dahabi, Wikipedia, last modified 30 Jul 08.
