RIYADH: The Undersecretary for Protocol Affairs Abdulmajeed Al-Smari received a copy of the credentials of the new US Ambassador to the Kingdom Michael Ratney on Thursday. Al-Smari received the credentials on behalf of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. Ratney was nominated by US President Joe Biden, and the US Senate confirmed him as the ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in a voice vote on March 14. At the time of his nomination in March, Ratney said he was committed to a “strong and sustainable US-Saudi partnership that advances US interests and reflects US values.” Before taking on his position as ambassador to the Kingdom, Ratney served as acting deputy director at the US Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute. Prior to that, he served as the chargé d’affaires at the US Embassy in Jerusalem and the State Department’s acting deputy assistant secretary for the Levant and Israel and Palestinian Affairs. He was also the US special envoy for Syria. Earlier in his career, Ratney served as the US consul general in Jerusalem and the deputy assistant secretary for international media at the State Department’s Bureau of Public Affairs. Previous US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John P. Abizaid was nominated by former President Donald Trump in November 2018 and took on the position in April 2019. Abizaid completed his mission in 2021, and Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires Martina Strong served until the end of her mission in April 2023.