Embassy of the United States, Riyadh

Embassy of the United States, Riyadh
Location	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Address	Abdullah Ibn Hudhafah As Sahmi Street Roundabout no. 9, Diplomatic Quarter Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Coordinates	24°40′53″N 46°37′17″E
Ambassador	Michael Ratney
Website	https://sa.usembassy.gov

The Embassy of the United States, Riyadh is the embassy of the United States located in the capital city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.^[1]

The relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia is of importance due to a confluence of economic, strategic, and geopolitical factors. Central to this bond are energy interests, with Saudi Arabia being one of the world's leading oil producers and exporters.^[2]

History

Diplomatic relations between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were officially established on February 14, 1940, after the United States recognized the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd and its Dependencies on May 1, 1931. The first envoy, Bert Fish, presented his credentials as U.S. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to King Abdulaziz in 1940 while being resident in Cairo, Egypt.^[3]

A U.S. Legation was opened in Jeddah on May 1, 1942, with James S. Moose, Jr. serving as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. On March 18, 1949, the Legation was elevated to an Embassy as J. Rives Childs presented his credentials as the first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.^[3]

In 1984, amid the urban development of the Kingdom's capital, the U.S. Embassy was relocated from Jeddah to Riyadh, with the Jeddah mission becoming a Consulate General.^[3]

Gallery

• 
  Hillary Clinton delivers remarks to U.S. Embassy staff in 2012
• 
  John Kerry addresses embassy workers in 2016
• 
  Rex Tillerson speaks to U.S. Embassy staff and their families in 2017
• 
  Mike Pompeo meets with staff and families from U.S. Embassy Riyadh in 2018
• 
  Antony J. Blinken holds a meet and greet with employees in 2023

See also

• Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington, D.C.
• List of ambassadors of the United States to Saudi Arabia
• Saudi Arabia–United States relations
• United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

References

1. "U.S. EMBASSY & CONSULATES IN SAUDI ARABIA". Retrieved October 22, 2023.
2. Colgan, Jeff D. (2021). Partial Hegemony: Oil Politics and International Order. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/oso/9780197546376.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-754637-6.
3. "A Guide to the United States' History of Recognition, Diplomatic, and Consular Relations, by Country, since 1776: Saudi Arabia". history.state.gov. Retrieved November 8, 2023.