RIYADH: Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday it was sending an ambassador to Lebanon for the first time since a row broke out last year over the Riyadh-led military intervention in Yemen. The foreign ministry “announces the return of the ambassador... to the sisterly Republic of Lebanon”, read a statement carried by state media.

A diplomatic crisis erupted last October after the then-information minister was quoted criticising the Saudi role in Yemen, where a grinding war has produced what the UN describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. George Kordahi, who has since resigned, said in a television interview that the Houthi rebels fighting Yemen’s internationally-recognised government were “defending themselves... against an external aggression”.

He said “homes, villages, funerals and weddings were being bombed” by the Saudi-led coalition, and called the war in Yemen “futile”.In response to the remarks Riyadh recalled its ambassador and ordered Lebanon’s envoy to leave the kingdom. Its Gulf allies the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait followed suit, expelling Lebanese envoys.

Following the Saudi decision, Kuwait also announced on Thursday the return of its ambassador to Beirut.

The row, which has also seen Saudi Arabia ban the imports of Lebanese goods, was a blow to a country already in the grip of crippling political and economic crises.

Lebanon, which had been counting on financial assistance from the Gulf to rescue its economy, welcomed the Saudi announcement.

“We highly value the kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s decision to return its ambassador to Lebanon and we stress the fact that Lebanon is proud of its Arab allegiance and is adamant on maintaining the best ties with Gulf nations,” Prime Minister Najib Mikati tweeted.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2022