List of ambassadors of the United States to Saudi Arabia

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 position has been occupied by John Abizaid since April 10, 2019. He presented his credentials to King Salman on June 16, 2019.[1]

Ambassador of the United States to Saudi Arabia
سفير الولايات المتحدة الأميركية في المملكة العربية السعودية
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Martina Strong
Chargé d'Affaires
since January 20, 2021
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

Ambassadors
  • Bert Fish[2] – Political appointee
    • Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Aug 7, 1939
    • Presentation of Credentials: Feb 4, 1940
    • Termination of Mission: Left Cairo Feb 28, 1941

Note: After Fish had withdrawn but before Kirk presented credentials as non-resident Minister, the Legation in Jidda was established on May 1, 1942, with James S. Moose, Jr., as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.

  • Alexander C. Kirk[3] – Career FSO
    • Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Feb 21, 1941
    • Presentation of Credentials: May 11, 1942
    • Termination of Mission: Superseded Jul 18, 1943
  • James S. Moose, Jr. – Career FSO
    • Title: Minister Resident/Foreign Service officer
    • Appointment: Jun 4, 1943
    • Presentation of Credentials: Jul 18, 1943
    • Termination of Mission: Left post Aug 18, 1944
  • William A. Eddy – Political appointee
    • Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Aug 12, 1944
    • Presentation of Credentials: Sep 23, 1944
    • Termination of Mission: Left post May 28, 1946
  • J. Rives Childs[4] – Career FSO
    • Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Apr 27, 1946
    • Presentation of Credentials: Jun 29, 1946
    • Termination of Mission: Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
  • J. Rives Childs[4] – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Mar 2, 1949
    • Presentation of Credentials: Mar 18, 1949
    • Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 21, 1950
  • Raymond A. Hare[4] – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Sep 20, 1950
    • Presentation of Credentials: Oct 24, 1950
    • Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 8, 1953
  • George Wadsworth[5][4] – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Oct 21, 1953
    • Presentation of Credentials: Jan 9, 1954
    • Termination of Mission: Left post Jan 1, 1958
  • Donald R. Heath[6] – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Nov 27, 1957
    • Presentation of Credentials: Jan 9, 1958
    • Termination of Mission: Left post, Apr 18, 1961
  • Parker T. Hart[7] – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Apr 6, 1961
    • Presentation of Credentials: Jul 22, 1961
    • Termination of Mission: Left post, May 29, 1965
  • William J. Porter[8] – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
  • Hermann F. Eilts – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Oct 20, 1965
    • Presentation of Credentials: Jan 15, 1966
    • Termination of Mission: Left post, Jul 23, 1970
  • Nicholas G. Thacher – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Sep 8, 1970
    • Presentation of Credentials: Sep 22, 1970
    • Termination of Mission: Left post, Sep 19, 1973
  • James E. Akins – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Sep 20, 1973
    • Presentation of Credentials: Nov 7, 1973
    • Termination of Mission: Left post, Feb 10, 1975
  • William J. Porter – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Dec 22, 1975
    • Presentation of Credentials: Feb 21, 1976
    • Termination of Mission: Left post, May 27, 1977
  • John C. West – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Jun 8, 1977
    • Presentation of Credentials: Jun 29, 1977
    • Termination of Mission: Left post, Mar 21, 1981
  • Robert Gerhard Neumann – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: May 20, 1981
    • Presentation of Credentials: Jun 22, 1981
    • Termination of Mission: Left post, Jul 16, 1981
  • Richard W. Murphy[9] – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Aug 19, 1981
    • Presentation of Credentials: Aug 29, 1981
    • Termination of Mission: Left post, Aug 21, 1983
  • Walter Leon Cutler – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Feb 10, 1984
    • Presentation of Credentials: Mar 31, 1984
    • Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 22, 1987

Note: 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
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Jul 2, 1987
    • Presentation of Credentials: Sep 22, 1987
    • Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 22, 1988
  • Walter Leon Cutler – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Jul 15, 1988
    • Presentation of Credentials: Aug 17, 1988
    • Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 30, 1989
  • Charles W. Freeman, Jr. – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Jun 15, 1989
    • Presentation of Credentials: Jan 14, 1990
    • Termination of Mission: Left post Aug 13, 1992
  • John Frank Bookout, Jr.[10] – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Note: C. David Welch served as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Aug 1992 – Aug 1994.

  • Raymond Edwin Mabus, Jr. – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Jul 5, 1994
    • Presentation of Credentials: Aug 1, 1994
    • Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 25, 1996
  • Wyche Fowler, Jr.[11] – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Aug 9, 1996
    • Presentation of Credentials: Sep 14, 1996
    • Termination of Mission: Left post Mar 1, 2001
  • Robert W. Jordan – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Oct 5, 2001
    • Presentation of Credentials: Jun 30, 2002
    • Termination of Mission: Left post Oct 13, 2003
  • James C. Oberwetter – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Dec 11, 2003
    • Presentation of Credentials: Oct 10, 2004
    • Termination of Mission: Left post, Mar 31, 2007
  • Ford M. Fraker[12] – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: Mar 30, 2007
    • Presentation of Credentials: Sep 2, 2007
    • Termination of Mission: 2009
  • James B. Smith – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: September 16, 2009
    • Presentation of Credentials: Unknown
    • Termination of Mission: September 27, 2013
  • Joseph W. Westphal – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: March 2014
    • Presentation of Credentials: March 28, 2014
    • Termination of Mission: January 9, 2017

Note: Christopher Henzel served as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Jan 8 2017 – Apr 17 2019.[13]

  • John Abizaid – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: April 10, 2019
    • Presentation of Credentials: June 16, 2019[1]
    • Termination of Mission: January 20, 2021

Notes
  1. "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.
  2. Also accredited to Egypt; resident at Cairo.
  3. Also accredited to Egypt and to the Government of Greece established in Egypt; resident at Cairo.
  4. Also accredited to Yemen; resident at Jidda.
  5. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 26, 1954.
  6. 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.
  7. Also commissioned to Kuwait and Yemen; resident at Jidda.
  8. Not commissioned; nomination withdrawn before the Senate acted upon it.
  9. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Sep 29, 1981.
  10. Nomination of Jun 3, 1992 was not acted on by the Senate.
  11. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Oct 31, 1997.
  12. Had presented his credentials to the Foreign Minister, May 5, 2007.
  13. "Saudi Arabia - Chiefs of Mission - People - Department History - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved 2019-09-03.

See also

References
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