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