Excerpt from document summary
(S/NF) Mohamed Sakhr El-Matri, the President's
son-in-law, is viewed by many as a possible successor to
President Ben Ali. Ref B reported his election to the ruling
Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD) party's Central
Committee in July 2008.

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DE RUEHTU #0109/01 0571515
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 261515Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6002
INFO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
Content
S E C R E T TUNIS 000109

NOFORN
SIPDIS

NEA/FO (HKALMBACH, OBLAIR)
NEA/MAG (SWILLIAMS,JPATTERSON,MHAYES)
INR (TKING)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2019
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINR, TS
SUBJECT: BEN ALI'S SON-IN-LAW SAKHR EL-MATRI: A RISING
FORCE IN TUNISIA (C-NE8-01892)

REF: A. 08 STATE 97689
B. 08 TUNIS 847

Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

1. (S/NF) Mohamed Sakhr El-Matri, the President's
son-in-law, is viewed by many as a possible successor to
President Ben Ali. Ref B reported his election to the ruling
Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD) party's Central
Committee in July 2008. Since his election to the Central
Committee, however, he has not played up his political role.
He is also the head of the RCD's local organization in
Carthage. Some observers here speculated that the Ben Ali
family has instructed him to keep a low profile until after
Ben Ali's expected re-election in October 2009. Instead, he
has continued to focus on economic issues and expand his
business empire, including pursuing opening a
religious-themed TV station and a new Islamic bank both named
Zeitouna, building on his Quranic radio station.

-------------------
Bilateral Relations
-------------------

2. (S/NF) The Ambassador met with El-Matri February 2, and
found him willing to comment frankly on US-Tunisian relations
and other issues. El-Matri said that, although bilateral
relations are excellent, there are times when communication
could be better. He mentioned that some GOT officials had
fixed views that were difficult to change and that it was
important for the RCD and the government to bring younger
people into the party and the government. He suggested that
new channels of communication need to be developed and
specifically cited the new RCD Secretary General Mohamed
Ghariani. He also acknowledged that Tunisia needs to improve
its performance on human rights.

3. (S/NF) On economic and trade issues, El-Matri expressed
concern about the economic crisis, saying he was traveling to
Dubai to discuss Emirate investment projects in Tunisia.
(Note: SAMA Dubai recently withdrew its Tunisian
representative and their real estate development projects are
reportedly on hold indefinitely.) He appreciated the work
the Embassy had done to promote the US Generalized System of
Preferences program and said he would ask the President of
the employer's union UTICA to continue to publicize the
program and its benefits. El-Matri also expressed interest
in opening a McDonalds restaurant franchise. When the
Ambassador said US companies needed a franchise law before
investing, he responded, "that would not be a problem," and
suggested a likely first option would be to open a franchise
in the new cruise port he is developing in La Goulette.
El-Matri said he is working with a British bank to secure
funding for his port expansion project. He also received
permission from the Central Bank at the end of January 2009
to open an Islamic bank.

----------------------
Personality and Family
----------------------

4. (S/NF) Personally, El-Matri presented himself as
self-confident, but low-key. This was in marked contrast to
his reputation as a flamboyant and aggressive business mogul.
His reputation derives in part from the fact that he drives
an Austin Martin and a Hummer among other cars, and rumors
that he owns a pet tiger. With the Ambassador, he was
equally comfortable talking about political issues and
personal issues. He indicated his awareness of his relative
youth vis-a-vis his position in the RCD and his business
success, but did not seem uncomfortable with that reality.
He also discussed his wife Nesrine's commitment to using only
organic products from the food they eat to the paint and
varnish in their new mansion.

5. (C) With Tunisians, Sakhr El-Matri gets political
credibility from his own family as well as by being the
President's son-in-law. His grandfather, Dr. Mahmoud
El-Matri, was a famous activist in the nationalist movement
of the 1930s. His father was a military officer and was
sentenced to life imprisonment for an attempted coup against
Bourguiba in 1962. He was later pardoned by Bourguiba and is
now a member of the Chamber of Advisors. Sakhr El-Matri and
his father recently opened a shelter for cancer patients.
The El-Matri family is alsoQrominent in business.

6. (C) El-Matri asked to work with the Embassy on the

conservation of the cliff on which both the Ambassador's
residence and his new mansion sit side-by-side. The
Ambassador offered to share with him the Embassy's assessment
of the cliff's stability.

----------------------------------------
Indicators of Sakhr El-Matri's Influence
----------------------------------------

7. (S/NF) Although Sakhr El-Matri holds two political
positions as a member of the RCD Central Committee and the
head of the RCD local organization in Carthage in the last
year, he has not used these positions to raise political
issues or his own profile. Given his relative youth and
newness to the political game, some say he was put in these
positions as a chance to establish his credentials and to
build networks rather than to raise his public profile.
Others speculate that his family has told him to keep a low
profile until after the 2009 presidential elections. He was
given a prominent position on the podium with President Ben
Ali during Ben Ali' annual November 7 speech celebrating his
takeover from Bourguiba. Only one other of Ben Ali's four
sons-in-law was also on the stage, Marouane Mabrouk. The
El-Matri family also hosted Libyan leader Muammar al-Qadhafi
during his August 2008 visit to Tunisia and it was reported
that El-Matri traveled to Libya to meet with al-Qadhafi
beforehand. In addition to his Goulette Shipping Cruise
line, El-Matri controls under the Princess El-Materi holding
company the concessions for Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche,
Renault cars and trucks; a pharmaceutical manufacturing
company, Societe Adwia; and two real estate companies, Les
Hirondelles and Le Marchand de l'Immobilier. (Note: The
el-Materi holding company is spelled differently than the
family name.)

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Comment
-------

8. (S/NF) Sakhr El-Matri comes across as someone who is in
no rush but who is building his future both within the RCD
and directly with the people through his Islamic radio and
future bank. Unfortunately, along with his business dealings
come a raft of rumors about corruption that make people
cynical about his political intentions. At the very least,
his business ventures thus far would not have been possible
were it not for his close ties to President Ben Ali the First
Tunisian family.

Godec