Michael Ratney named new U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Ambassador Michael Ratney as ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

The official account of the US embassy in Riyadh, said in a tweet on Wednesday, "We look forward to welcoming him to Riyadh."

According to Okaz newspaper on its website today, Ratney was previously deputy assistant secretary of state for Middle East, Israel and Palestine, and from 2015 to 2017, he was the US special envoy for Syria, and between 2012 and 2015, Ratney served as the US consul general in Jerusalem.

She pointed out that Ambassador Ratney from Massachusetts, holds a bachelor's degree from Boston University, a master's degree from George Washington University, and is fluent in Arabic and French.