New Saudi ambassadors take up posts in US and London

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s new ambassadors to the United States and the United Kingdom have taken up their posts after several months’ vacancy amid tensions with Western allies over the Yemen war. Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan, the Gulf kingdom’s first female ambassador, presented her credentials in Washington while her brother, Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan, did so in London, state news agency SPA reported on Thursday. Princess Reema was named in February to replace Prince Khalid bin Salman. The new ambassadors, both in their 40s, are the children of a former long-time envoy to the United States. Princess Reema lived in Washington with him for many years and studied at George Washington University. She has no previous diplomatic experience, having worked in the private sector before joining the kingdom’s General Sports Authority where she championed women’s participation in sports and focused on increasing women’s empowerment.