After retiring from the Royal Saudi Navy, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki has continued serving in government, this time as diplomat. Updated 29 sec ago Arab News August 12, 2018 23:49 0 Pakistani media has described the envoy as "very popular with the Pakistani people due to his courteousness and polite disposition" Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki has been serving as the Saudi ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan since September 2017. He was born in Riyadh in 1970. He earned a bachelor’s degree in military and marine sciences from King Fahd Naval Academy, the main naval academy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the Royal Saudi Navy, located at the King Abdul Aziz Naval Base in Jubail. He also holds a master’s degree from Command and Staff College. Prior to his appointment as an ambassador, he served the Royal Saudi Navy. As a navy official, he was promoted several times and became a rear admiral. In 2014, he was appointed the military attache at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. He was viewed as a capable officer at the Royal Saudi Navy. Al-Malki took retirement from the navy to assume the diplomatic assignment in Pakistan. According to The News International, a Pakistani newspaper, the Saudi ambassador is quite familiar with the situation in Pakistan and is very popular with the Pakistani people due to his courteousness and polite disposition. During a meeting with Pakistan’s Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani on Friday in Islamabad, Al-Maliki announced 50 scholarships for Pakistani students to study in Saudi universities. The ambassador noted that the Saudi government will bear all expenses related to studies and accommodations of the Pakistani students, he added that the number of scholarships for Pakistani students will double next year. The ambassador stressed Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to its relationships with Pakistan and its people and it will spare no effort in standing with Pakistan and offering assistance and support.