Dubai – Masaader News
Saudi Arabia appointed its first female ambassador early Sunday to serve as its top diplomat in the United States, pulling a son of King Salman back to the kingdom to serve as deputy defense minister amid deteriorating ties with America after the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, according to Daily mail.
Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, a daughter of the kingdom’s longtime ambassador to Washington Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, faces a stark challenge in improving ties between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.
She replaces Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, a son of King Salman and a former fighter pilot who insisted after Khashoggi’s disappearance October 2 that the Washington Post columnist simply left the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul.
Princess Reema, who studied in America and is known in the kingdom for her philanthropic work, lived in the U.S. during her father’s over 20 years as the Saudi ambassador there. Her father also served as the head of the country’s intelligence service.