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US Senate Confirms Ratney as New Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

Michael Ratney the New US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Michael Ratney the New US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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US Senate Confirms Ratney as New Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

Michael Ratney the New US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Michael Ratney the New US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The US Senate approved on Wednesday the appointment of Michael Alan Ratney to serve as the US Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

US President Joe Biden had announced Ratney’s candidacy for the post back in April, 2022.

The US embassy in Riyadh welcomed the appointment.

“The US Senate approved the appointment of US ambassador Michael Ratney as the new ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the US embassy said in a tweet.

“We look forward to welcoming him in Riyadh,” it added.

Ratney, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, most recently served as Acting Deputy Director at the Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute.

Previously, he served as Chargé d’Affaires a.i. in the US Embassy in Jerusalem and was the Dean of the School of Language Studies at the Foreign Service Institute. Prior to that, Ratney was on the faculty of the National Defense University. He served as the State Department’s acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Levant and Israel and Palestinian Affairs and was the US Special Envoy for Syria.

Earlier, Ratney was the US Consul General in Jerusalem. He was Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Media in the State Department’s Bureau of Public Affairs.

Prior to that, he served as Spokesman for the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. Other assignments include Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Doha, Qatar, as well as tours in Mexico City, Baghdad, Beirut, Casablanca, Bridgetown, and Washington, DC.
Ratney’s deep and substantive background in Near Eastern affairs, proficiency in Arabic, demonstrated ability to lead large interagency teams, and extensive expertise in press and public diplomacy, all make him a well-qualified candidate for Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Ratney earned a BS from Boston University, and an MA from the George Washington University. He is the recipient of multiple State Department performance awards, including six Senior Foreign Service Performance awards and a Presidential Meritorious Service award, and speaks Arabic and French.

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Gulf

Saudi Foreign Minister Holds Phone Call with Foreign Minister II of Brunei Darussalam

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah -File Photo (Reuters)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah -File Photo (Reuters)
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Saudi Foreign Minister Holds Phone Call with Foreign Minister II of Brunei Darussalam

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah -File Photo (Reuters)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah -File Photo (Reuters)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held a phone call with Minister for Foreign Affairs II of Brunei Darussalam Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.

During the call, the two officials reviewed bilateral relations between their countries and discussed issues of common interest.

Gulf

King Salman Center Sets Up Camps for Displaced Gaza Residents

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has established the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah, as displaced people struggle with the impact of war and cold weather (KSrelief)
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has established the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah, as displaced people struggle with the impact of war and cold weather (KSrelief)
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King Salman Center Sets Up Camps for Displaced Gaza Residents

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has established the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah, as displaced people struggle with the impact of war and cold weather (KSrelief)
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has established the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah, as displaced people struggle with the impact of war and cold weather (KSrelief)

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) said it has set up the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah in Gaza, as thousands of Palestinians displaced by the war grapple with harsh winter conditions brought by a cold and rainy weather system this week.

Fahad Al-Osaimi, the center’s director of emergency relief, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the camp is sheltering more than 200 displaced families, with the number of beneficiaries exceeding 2,000 women, children and elderly people whose homes and tents were damaged or destroyed by the war and recent weather conditions.

He said the center is currently operating under a rapid response mechanism to appeals received by its operations and emergency room in the Gaza Strip.

Al-Osaimi said two fully equipped camps were completed this week, and that preparations are underway to establish several additional camps in coordination with relevant United Nations agencies, based on assessed needs on the ground.

He said the camp is playing a critical role in providing refuge to hundreds of families whose tents were flooded or collapsed due to heavy rainfall, offering safer shelter that helps mitigate humanitarian risks, particularly for children, women and the elderly.

Al-Osaimi said the center’s efforts extend beyond emergency shelter, noting that work is ongoing to establish organized camps that meet international humanitarian response standards and to ensure they are supplied with essential services.

These services include blankets, shelter materials, clothing for women and children, sanitation facilities such as toilets, hygiene kits and cleaning supplies, in addition to other forms of relief assistance as needs arise.

He said the interventions form part of KSrelief’s sustained efforts to alleviate the suffering of displaced people in the Gaza Strip and bolster their resilience amid severe humanitarian and weather conditions.

The deteriorating weather has coincided with growing uncertainty over the future of the ceasefire agreement and the possibility of moving to its second phase. According to local and international organizations, living conditions for displaced people continue to worsen.

Against this backdrop, the establishment of the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah marks a fresh chapter in Saudi Arabia’s emergency response to Palestinians, particularly Gaza residents, since the outbreak of the war following Oct. 7, 2023, providing lifelines to more than 2,000 people facing mounting challenges.

Gulf

Saudi Interior Minister Meets with Kazakh Counterpart

The Saudi Minister of Interior met on Thursday with his Kazakh counterpart in Riyadh. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Interior met on Thursday with his Kazakh counterpart in Riyadh. SPA
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Saudi Interior Minister Meets with Kazakh Counterpart

The Saudi Minister of Interior met on Thursday with his Kazakh counterpart in Riyadh. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Interior met on Thursday with his Kazakh counterpart in Riyadh. SPA

Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz received in Riyadh on Thursday Kazakhstan’s Minister of Internal Affairs Yerzhan Sadenov.

During the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance security cooperation between the two ministries, in addition to reviewing a number of topics of mutual interest.