Saudi Arabia appoints new ambassador to Lebanon

By Wasim Saifuddin

BEIRUT (AA) - Saudi Arabian Minister of State for Arab Gulf Affairs Thamer al-Sabhan announced the appointment of a new Saudi ambassador to Lebanon on Monday following a nearly five-month hiatus.

The announcement was made at a meeting between al-Sabhan and Lebanese President Michel Aoun at Beirut’s Baabda presidential palace, during which the two men discussed inter-Arab tourism and other issues.

According to a statement issued by Aoun’s office, al-Sabhan is now in Beirut to follow up on issues raised during the Lebanese president’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia.

Aoun visited Riyadh last month in his first official visit abroad since assuming the presidency last October.

Repairing Lebanon's strained relations with the oil-rich Gulf States -- which in recent years have been dogged by tension -- is regarded as one of Aoun’s most daunting tasks as president.

Al-Sabhan did not provide the incoming ambassador’s name or say when exactly he would be dispatched to the Lebanese capital.

The Saudi minister, who arrived in Beirut on Sunday evening for a three-day visit, also met Monday with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, with whom he discussed regional developments and bilateral ties.

In recent years, Saudi-Lebanese relations have been strained by ongoing differences over the conflict in Syria (where Lebanon’s Hezbollah is fighting alongside the Assad regime); an attack early last year on two Saudi diplomatic missions by Iranian demonstrators; and a subsequent move by Riyadh to suspend military aid to Lebanon.

Saudi Arabia accuses Hezbollah of monopolizing Lebanese politics and taking its orders from Tehran, which is seen as Riyadh’s chief regional rival.