Despite being nominated by US President Joe Biden in April 2022, Michael Ratney, has just been confirmed by the US Senate as the next US ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
Michael Ratney, is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service who speaks fluent Arabic and has served across the Middle East and was most recently charge d’affaires at the US embassy in Jerusalem. Prior to that, he served as the State Department’s acting deputy assistant secretary for the Levant and Israel and Palestinian affairs, and as US special envoy for Syria. Other regional assignments have included posts in Doha, Beirut and Baghdad.
Ratney’s nomination was delayed as a result of two holds placed by US senators. On September 28, 2022, Democratic Senator Ron Wyden placed a hold on Ratney’s nomination due to a Saudi national killing Fallon Smart, a teenager from Wyden’s home state of Oregon.
On February 24, 2022, Senator Marco Rubio placed a hold on Ratney’s nomination along with six other Biden nominees.
Senator Wyden lifted his hold on March 8, 2023 clearing the way for Ratney to be confirmed by the US Senate.
The post of US ambassador to Saudi Arabia has been vacant since John Abizaid left in January 2021. There was also a two year hiatus prior to Mr. Abizaid’s confirmation.
Since January 2017, the post of US ambassador to Saudi Arabia has been vacant for a total of five years; an extraordinary lapse in diplomatic relations with a key global partner and a source of frequent commentary and criticism in Saudi Arabia.
During his confirmation hearing at the US Senate in July 2022, Mr. Ratney said Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched more than 400 cross-border attacks over the past year on infrastructure, schools, mosques and workplaces and vowed to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s defences with Washington’s help.
