RIYADH/RAMA­LLAH: Saudi Arabia on Saturday named a non-resident ambassador for Pale­stine who will also serve as consul general in Jerusa­lem, a new position anno­unced amid speculation about ties with Israel.

The role will be filled by Nayef al-Sudairi, the amba­ssador to Jordan, according to a social media post from the embassy in Amman confirmed by a Saudi foreign ministry official.

The appointment represents “an important step” underscoring the desire of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Sal­man “to strengthen rela­tions with the brothers of the State of Pale­stine and give it a formal boost in all areas”, Sudairi said in a video aired by Al-Ek­h­­bariya channel.

The file for Palestine has traditionally been handled by Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Amman.

Palestinian officials welcomed the move.

At a ceremony in Jor­dan, Palestinian President Mah­moud Abbas’s diplomatic adviser Majdi al-Khalidi received a copy of the credentials of Amba­ssador Sudairi as a non-resident envoy, official Pales­tinian news agency Wafa said.

The move was “an important step that will contribute to further strengthening the strong brotherly relations that bind the two countries and the two brotherly peoples,” al-Khalidi said, according to Wafa.

Palestinian Foreign Minis­­ter Riyad al-Maliki said last week Palestinian Authority is hoping to engage with Saudi Arabia over their concerns about the potential normalisation with Israel.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2023