Saudi Arabia has, for the first time in its history, appointed the kingdom’s ambassador to the State of Palestine. Photo/SPA via REUTERS
RIYADH – Government Arab Saudi, for the first time in history, appointed a royal ambassador to Palestinian State.
The Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday said Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Jordan Nayef bin Bandar Al-Sudairi would serve as the first non-resident ambassador extraordinary for the State of Palestine.
Riyadh’s move comes amid reports that Saudi Arabia and Israel are close to reaching a normalization deal under the auspices of the United States (US).
The ambassador’s appointment was also seen by many as a message from Saudi Arabia that a normalization agreement with Israel would not affect Riyadh’s relations with the Palestinians.
Palestinian officials in Ramallah have expressed concern over a possible normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, saying they know nothing about US efforts to reach one.
They also expressed hope that a real rapprochement between Israel and Saudi Arabia would not affect the Kingdom’s support for the Palestinian cause.
A senior Palestinian official hailed the appointment of the Saudi ambassador as a “historic and diplomatic victory”.
“Sudairi, who will continue to carry out his duties as ambassador to Jordan, will also serve as consul general in Jerusalem,” the Saudi foreign ministry said, as quoted from Jerusalem PostSunday (13/8/2023).
2023-08-13 00:38:51
#Saudi #Arabia #Appoints #Ambassador #State #Palestine #Time #History
