List of ambassadors of the United States to Saudi Arabia

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Ambassador of the United States to Saudi Arabia
سفير الولايات المتحدة لدى المملكة العربية السعودية
US Department of State official seal.svg
Seal of the United States Department of State
Michael Ratney, U.S. Ambassador 2 (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Michael Ratney
since April 27, 2023
Residence Quincy House
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holder Bert Fish
as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
FormationAug 7, 1939
Website U.S. Embassy – Riyadh

The United States ambassador to Saudi Arabia is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of Saudi Arabia.

Contents

The United States recognized the government of King Ibn Saud in 1931, but it was not until 1939 when it appointed its first U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Bert Fish, then resident in Cairo and ambassador to Egypt. Fish made one trip down to Jeddah in 1940 to meet the King and present his credentials, but it was not until after his mission was terminated that a legation was established there on May 1, 1942.

The ambassador holds the title Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

Ambassadors

NameTitleAppointed Presented credentials Terminated missionNotes
Bert Fish [1] – Political appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryAug 7, 1939Feb 4, 1940Feb 28, 1941The Legation in Jeddah was established on May 1, 1942, with James S. Moose, Jr., as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.
Alexander C. Kirk [2] – Career FSOFeb 21, 1941May 11, 1942Jul 18, 1943
James S. Moose Jr. – Career FSOMinister Resident/Foreign Service officerJun 4, 1943Jul 18, 1943Aug 18, 1944
William A. Eddy – Political appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryAug 12, 1944Sep 23, 1944May 28, 1946
J. Rives Childs [3] – Career FSOApr 27, 1946Jun 29, 1946Jul 21, 1950Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Raymond A. Hare [3] – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiarySep 20, 1950Oct 24, 1950Jul 8, 1953
George Wadsworth [4] [3] – Career FSOOct 21, 1953Jan 9, 1954Jan 1, 1958
Donald R. Heath [5] – Career FSONov 27, 1957Jan 9, 1958Apr 18, 1961
Parker T. Hart [6] – Career FSOApr 6, 1961Jul 22, 1961May 29, 1965
Hermann F. Eilts – Career FSOOct 20, 1965Jan 15, 1966Jul 23, 1970
Nicholas G. Thacher – Career FSOSep 8, 1970Sep 22, 1970Sep 19, 1973
James E. Akins – Career FSOSep 20, 1973Nov 7, 1973Feb 10, 1975
William J. Porter – Career FSODec 22, 1975Feb 21, 1976May 27, 1977
John C. West – Political appointeeJun 8, 1977Jun 29, 1977Mar 21, 1981
Robert G. Neumann – Political appointeeMay 20, 1981Jun 22, 1981Jul 16, 1981
Richard W. Murphy [7] – Career FSOAug 19, 1981Aug 29, 1981Aug 21, 1983
Walter L. Cutler – Career FSOFeb 10, 1984Mar 31, 1984Jun 22, 1987On Sep 26, 1984, the U.S. Liaison Office in Riyadh was raised to the rank of embassy while the embassy in Jeddah became a consulate.
Hume Alexander Horan – Career FSOJul 2, 1987Sep 22, 1987Apr 22, 1988
Walter L. Cutler – Career FSOJul 15, 1988Aug 17, 1988Apr 30, 1989
Chas W. Freeman Jr. – Career FSOJun 15, 1989Jan 14, 1990Aug 13, 1992
C. David Welch Chargé d'Affaires ad interimAug 13, 1992N/AAug 1, 1994
Raymond Edwin Mabus Jr. – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJul 5, 1994Aug 1, 1994Apr 25, 1996
Wyche Fowler Jr. [8] – Political appointeeAug 9, 1996Sep 14, 1996Mar 1, 2001
Robert W. Jordan – Political appointeeOct 5, 2001Jun 30, 2002Oct 13, 2003
James C. Oberwetter – Political appointeeDec 11, 2003Oct 10, 2004Mar 31, 2007
Ford M. Fraker [9] – Political appointeeMarch 30, 2007September 2, 2007January 20, 2009
James B. Smith – Political appointeeSeptember 16, 2009October 31, 2009September 27, 2013
Joseph W. Westphal – Political appointeeMarch 26, 2014March 28, 2014January 8, 2017
Christopher Henzel [10] Chargé d'Affaires ad interimJanuary 8, 2017N/AApril 17, 2019
John Abizaid – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryApril 10, 2019June 16, 2019 [11] January 20, 2021
Martina A. Strong Chargé d'Affaires ad interimJanuary 20, 2021N/AApril 16, 2023
Denison OffuttChargé d'Affaires ad interimApril 16, 2023N/AApril 27, 2023
Michael Alan Ratney - Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMarch 14, 2023April 27, 2023IncumbentApproved by the US Senate in March 2023. [12]

Notes

  1. ↑ Also accredited to Egypt; resident at Cairo.
  2. ↑ Also accredited to Egypt and to the Government of Greece established in Egypt; resident at Cairo.
  3. 1 2 3 Also accredited to Yemen; resident at Jidda.
  4. ↑ Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 26, 1954.
  5. ↑ Also commissioned to Yemen, but did not present credentials in that country. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 27, 1958.
  6. ↑ Also commissioned to Kuwait and Yemen; resident at Jidda.
  7. ↑ Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Sep 29, 1981.
  8. ↑ Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Oct 31, 1997.
  9. ↑ Had presented his credentials to the Foreign Minister, May 5, 2007.
  10. ↑ "Saudi Arabia - Chiefs of Mission - People - Department History - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
  11. ↑ "US Ambassador John Abizaid, Indian Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed join other envoys in presenting their credentials to King Salman in Jeddah this morning". Al-Bilad English. June 16, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Michael Alan Ratney confirmed as US ambassador to Saudi Arabia". Arab News. March 15, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bert Fish</span> American diplomat (1875–1943)

Bert Fish was an American lawyer, judge, philanthropist, and ambassador.

References

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