List of ambassadors of the United States to Saudi Arabia

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.

Ambassador of the United States to Saudi Arabia
سفير الولايات المتحدة لدى المملكة العربية السعودية
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Michael Ratney
since April 27, 2023
ResidenceQuincy House
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderBert Fish
as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
FormationAug 7, 1939
WebsiteU.S. Embassy – Riyadh

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

U.S. diplomatic terms

Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).

Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office.

Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".
Name Title Appointed Presented credentials Terminated mission Notes
Bert Fish[1] – Political appointee Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Aug 7, 1939 Feb 4, 1940 Feb 28, 1941 The 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 FSO Feb 21, 1941 May 11, 1942 Jul 18, 1943
James S. Moose Jr. – Career FSO Minister Resident/Foreign Service officer Jun 4, 1943 Jul 18, 1943 Aug 18, 1944
William A. Eddy – Political appointee Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Aug 12, 1944 Sep 23, 1944 May 28, 1946
J. Rives Childs[3] – Career FSO Apr 27, 1946 Jun 29, 1946 Jul 21, 1950 Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Raymond A. Hare[3] – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Sep 20, 1950 Oct 24, 1950 Jul 8, 1953
George Wadsworth[4][3] – Career FSO Oct 21, 1953 Jan 9, 1954 Jan 1, 1958
Donald R. Heath[5] – Career FSO Nov 27, 1957 Jan 9, 1958 Apr 18, 1961
Parker T. Hart[6] – Career FSO Apr 6, 1961 Jul 22, 1961 May 29, 1965
Hermann F. Eilts – Career FSO Oct 20, 1965 Jan 15, 1966 Jul 23, 1970
Nicholas G. Thacher – Career FSO Sep 8, 1970 Sep 22, 1970 Sep 19, 1973
James E. Akins – Career FSO Sep 20, 1973 Nov 7, 1973 Feb 10, 1975
William J. Porter – Career FSO Dec 22, 1975 Feb 21, 1976 May 27, 1977
John C. West – Political appointee Jun 8, 1977 Jun 29, 1977 Mar 21, 1981
Robert G. Neumann – Political appointee May 20, 1981 Jun 22, 1981 Jul 16, 1981
Richard W. Murphy[7] – Career FSO Aug 19, 1981 Aug 29, 1981 Aug 21, 1983
Walter L. Cutler – Career FSO Feb 10, 1984 Mar 31, 1984 Jun 22, 1987 On 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 FSO Jul 2, 1987 Sep 22, 1987 Apr 22, 1988
Walter L. Cutler – Career FSO Jul 15, 1988 Aug 17, 1988 Apr 30, 1989
Chas W. Freeman Jr. – Career FSO Jun 15, 1989 Jan 14, 1990 Aug 13, 1992
C. David Welch Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Aug 13, 1992 N/A Aug 1, 1994
Raymond Edwin Mabus Jr. – Political appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Jul 5, 1994 Aug 1, 1994 Apr 25, 1996
Wyche Fowler Jr.[8] – Political appointee Aug 9, 1996 Sep 14, 1996 Mar 1, 2001
Robert W. Jordan – Political appointee Oct 5, 2001 Jun 30, 2002 Oct 13, 2003
James C. Oberwetter – Political appointee Dec 11, 2003 Oct 10, 2004 Mar 31, 2007
Ford M. Fraker[9] – Political appointee March 30, 2007 September 2, 2007 January 20, 2009
James B. Smith – Political appointee September 16, 2009 October 31, 2009 September 27, 2013
Joseph W. Westphal – Political appointee March 26, 2014 March 28, 2014 January 8, 2017
Christopher Henzel[10] Chargé d'Affaires ad interim January 8, 2017 N/A April 17, 2019
John Abizaid – Political appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary April 10, 2019 June 16, 2019[11] January 20, 2021
Martina A. Strong Chargé d'Affaires ad interim January 20, 2021 N/A April 16, 2023
Denison Offutt Chargé d'Affaires ad interim April 16, 2023 N/A April 27, 2023
Michael Alan Ratney - Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary March 14, 2023 April 27, 2023 Incumbent Approved 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. 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 2019-07-09.
  12. "Michael Alan Ratney confirmed as US ambassador to Saudi Arabia". Arab News. 2023-03-15. Retrieved 2023-04-12.

See also

References
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