Adel al-Jubeir
Encyclopedia
Adel A. Al-Jubeir is the Saudi Arabia
n Ambassador
to the United States
, and a former foreign policy advisor to King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia. He is a well-known representative of the Saudi kingdom in the West
, particularly the United States. Al-Jubeir presented his credentials to President George W. Bush
on 27 February 2007 in the White House.
(Riyadh Province), Saudi Arabia
, and attended schools in the Kingdom, Germany
, Yemen
, Lebanon
and the U.S. He obtained a B.A. summa cum laude in political science and economics from the University of North Texas
in 1982, and an M.A. in international relations
from Georgetown University
in 1984. In 2006, he received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from the University of North Texas.
in Washington, DC, where he served as Special Assistant to then Ambassador
Prince Bandar bin Sultan. It was in 1991 during the first Gulf War
when Al-Jubeir first appeared to the world as a spokesman for the Saudi government. In 1990-91, he was part of the Saudi team that established the Joint Information Bureau at Dhahran
, a city in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He was a member of the GCC delegation to the Madrid Peace Conference in October 1991, and a member of the Saudi delegation to the Multilateral Arms Control Talks in Washington, DC in 1992. In December 1992, he was dispatched with the Saudi Armed Forces to Somalia as part of Operation Restore Hope.
Al-Jubeir has been a member of the Saudi Arabian delegation to the United Nations General Assembly
, and was a visiting diplomatic fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations
in New York
, 1994-95. During his tenure at the Saudi Embassy, Al-Jubeir developed strong ties on Capitol Hill, in the Administration, the media and with major think tanks in Washington. In 2000, Al-Jubeir became Director of the Saudi Information and Congressional Affairs Office at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC. In late 2000, he was named Foreign Affairs Advisor in the Crown Prince’s Court. In August 2005, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz appointed Al-Jubeir to the position of Advisor at the Royal Court.
Following the September 11 attacks, Al-Jubeir returned to the United States to address the many questions and criticisms that faced the Kingdom at that time. Al-Jubeir became the face of Saudi Arabia through hundreds of television appearances as well as other media interviews and visited more than 25 cities around the country where he gave talks to World Affairs Councils, universities, civic organizations, business institutions and other interested groups about current events and the state of Saudi/U.S. relations.
of its intention to appoint Al-Jubeir as the new ambassador to Washington. Ambassador Al-Jubeir replaced Turki bin Faisal Al Saud, who served as ambassador for 15 months. Al-Jubeir was appointed by royal decree as Saudi Ambassador to the United States of America with ministerial rank at the Foreign Ministry on 29 January 2007.
As ambassador, Al-Jubeir has focused on strengthening the bilateral relationship by building ties across government departments in both countries. Another key area of focus has been the welfare of Saudi citizens living in the United States. Other issues of focus include counter-terrorism, regional peace and security, bilateral trade, cultural exchange and interfaith dialogue. Prior to becoming ambassador, he was instrumental in establishing and maintaining the U.S.-Saudi Strategic Dialogue, which was initiated by King Abdullah and President Bush as a means to institutionalize relations between the two nations and deepen coordination on strategic, political and economic issues.
Ambassador Al-Jubeir travels frequently to the Kingdom for consultations with the King and other senior Saudi officials. He is regularly seen with King Abdullah in meetings with world leaders and has accompanied King Abdullah on many state visits including China, India, Pakistan, and Malaysia in 2006 and Germany, Italy, Turkey, and Egypt in 2007.
In November 2007, Ambassador Al-Jubeir was part of King Abdullah’s delegation on visits to Italy
, where King Abduallah met with Pope Benedict XVI
, first meeting between a Saudi monarch and a Pope. In July 2008, King Abdullah convened an interfaith conference in Madrid, Spain, bringing together major figures from Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism and Confucianism to reinforce the common values shared by their respective faiths.
In November 2007, Al-Jubeir joined Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal for the meeting of the Arab League Foreign Ministers in Cairo
in preparation for the Annapolis Peace Conference. He was also a member of the Saudi delegation to the Annapolis Peace Conference in November 2007.
During Ambassador Al-Jubeir’s tenure, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. have signed a series of bilateral agreements in key areas including civil nuclear cooperation, enhanced security arrangements, reciprocal visa policies, health and medical services, science and technology cooperation, among others. The two countries have established two Joint Task Forces— one to combat terrorists, another to combat terror financing. Experts from both governments work side-by-side, sharing real-time information about terror networks. In addition, the two countries have extensive cooperation between their two militaries.
In October 2010, Saudi intelligence provided key information to American officials that foiled an attempted terrorist plot involving parcel bombs heading to the United States that originated in Yemen
. The bombs were found and defused before reaching their intended targets.
Al-Jubeir has enhanced the embassy’s focus on its ties with the United States Congress
through extensive meetings and briefings with members of Congress and staff as well as facilitating visits to the Kingdom. In the spring of 2007, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
visited the Kingdom with a Congressional delegation, the first visit by a sitting Speaker of the House.
In addition, the tempo of visits by senior U.S. officials have increased substantially during his tenure as ambassador, including two visits by President Bush, multiple visits by Vice President Dick Cheney
and a visit by President Obama in 2009. Other visits have included National Security Advisors James L. Jones
and Thomas Donilon; Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
; Secretaries of Treasury Henry Paulson
and Timothy Geithner; Secretary of Energy Steven Chu
; Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
; CENTCOM Commanders General David Petraeus
and James Mattis
; Homeland Security Advisor John O. Brennan
and Special Envoys George J. Mitchell
, Dennis Ross
, Richard Holbrooke
and a large number of sub cabinet officials.
Visits to the United States by Senior Saudi officials since 2007 have included two Heads of State visits by King Abdullah in November of 2008 and July of 2010. In addition, there were visits by Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Director of General Intelligence Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs Prince Muhammed bin Naif, Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi
, Finance Minister Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al-Assaf
, Governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency Mohammed Al-Jasser and Minister of Commerce Abdullah Alireza.
In addition to visits by government officials, there have been numerous trade delegations to and from both countries as well as academic exchanges. These visits reflect the breadth and depth of the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia.
Ambassador Al-Jubeir served as the Escorting Minister for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama on their respective visits to the Kingdom.
On 3 June 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama traveled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on a two-day official visit to Saudi Arabia. President Obama was received by King Abdullah, Second Deputy Prime Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz and Ambassador Al-Jubeir at King Khalid International Airport
.
During his visit to Saudi Arabia, President Obama stated that he chose Saudi Arabia as the first stop on his Middle East tour because the Kingdom is a key ally and the cradle of Islam. The President and King Abdullah met and held extensive bilateral talks at the King’s ranch in Al-Janadriyah on the outskirts of Riyadh
. During their discussions, the two leaders focused on regional and international developments and Saudi-U.S. bilateral relations. King Abdullah presented President Obama with the King Abdulaziz Medal, the Kingdom’s highest award bestowed to heads of state and world leaders.
On 29 June 2010, Ambassador Al-Jubeir attended a meeting between King Abdullah and U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. The two held on talks on a wide range of issues of mutual interest and common concern.
On 8 January 2011, Ambassador Al-Jubeir attended a meeting in New York between King Abdullah and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
and former U.S. President Bill Clinton
as well as meetings between the King and French President Nicolas Sarkozy
and United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-moon
.
Ambassador Al-Jubeir served as a member of the Kingdom’s United Nations General Assembly
delegation in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Furthermore, Ambassador Al-Jubeir attended G20 summit meetings in Washington, D.C. in 2008, London in 2009 and Toronto in 2010.
In 2007, he headed the Kingdom’s delegation to the Law of the Seas Conference at the United Nations. In 2009, he met with UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon to discuss the ongoing situation in Darfur
and in July 2011, he led the Saudi delegation to the U.N. High Level Meeting on Youth.
The U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, James B. Smith
stated, “Offering new types of visas to foreign scientists and experts, as well as for student exchanges in scientific fields, opens doors for the people of Saudi Arabia to learn from other countries and for the world to learn from and about Saudi Arabia.”
Investments between the two countries are also at record numbers. The United States is the number one source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Saudi Arabia with $8.1 billion in 2009, a 56.5 percent increase from 2008. In 2010, Alcoa and Saudi Ma’aden signed a contract worth approximately $15 billion to build the world’s largest aluminum refinery and smelter complex in the Kingdom. In 2011, Saudi Aramco
and Dow Chemical Company approved the formation of a joint venture to build and operate a world-scale, fully integrated chemical complex in Jubail Industrial City, valued at $20 billion. In 2008, SABIC and ExxonMobil began conducting a detailed study for a new Elastomers project at their petrochemical joint ventures, Kemya and Yanpet. Once completed, the project will have a total investment of approximately $5 billion. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is also a large investor in the U.S. economy.
In October 2010, the Obama Administration notified Congress of a proposed arms sale to Saudi Arabia up to an estimated $60 billion – the largest U.S arms sale in history. The sale is meant to further align the Saudi military relationship with the United States and allow the Kingdom to better protect its security and oil infrastructure, which “is critical to our economic interests,” said Andrew Shapiro, assistant secretary for political and military affairs, at a State Department news conference. The agreement will include the sale of 84 F-15 fighter aircraft, almost 200 helicopters and the upgrading of 70 older-model F-15s.
For both arms transfers, Ambassador Al-Jubeir led an effort which brought together support from industry, labor, Congress and the Administration to ensure that the agreements were approved without objection.
. He has lectured at universities and academic institutions in the U.S. and appears frequently in the media.
In 2009, he received the Ambassador of the Year award from the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce for his contributions to Saudi-U.S. relations. In 2011, he was presented with the Diplomatic Achievement Award from the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
n Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and a former foreign policy advisor to King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia. He is a well-known representative of the Saudi kingdom in the West
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
, particularly the United States. Al-Jubeir presented his credentials to President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on 27 February 2007 in the White House.
Early life
Al-Jubeir was born in Al Majma'ahAl Majma'ah
Al Majma'ah is a city and a governorate in Ar Riyad Province, Saudi Arabia. It is located at around , and has an area of 30 000 square kilometers. The population of the town is around 45,000, while the population of the governorate as a whole is approximately 97,349...
(Riyadh Province), Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, and attended schools in the Kingdom, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and the U.S. He obtained a B.A. summa cum laude in political science and economics from the University of North Texas
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
in 1982, and an M.A. in international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
from Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in 1984. In 2006, he received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from the University of North Texas.
Political career
In 1987, Al-Jubeir was appointed into the Saudi Diplomatic Service and posted to the Royal Embassy of Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
in Washington, DC, where he served as Special Assistant to then Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
Prince Bandar bin Sultan. It was in 1991 during the first Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
when Al-Jubeir first appeared to the world as a spokesman for the Saudi government. In 1990-91, he was part of the Saudi team that established the Joint Information Bureau at Dhahran
Dhahran
Dhahran is a city located in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, and is a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry. Large oil reserves were first identified in the Dhahran area in 1931, and in 1935 Standard Oil of California drilled the first commercially viable oil well...
, a city in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He was a member of the GCC delegation to the Madrid Peace Conference in October 1991, and a member of the Saudi delegation to the Multilateral Arms Control Talks in Washington, DC in 1992. In December 1992, he was dispatched with the Saudi Armed Forces to Somalia as part of Operation Restore Hope.
Al-Jubeir has been a member of the Saudi Arabian delegation to the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
, and was a visiting diplomatic fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, 1994-95. During his tenure at the Saudi Embassy, Al-Jubeir developed strong ties on Capitol Hill, in the Administration, the media and with major think tanks in Washington. In 2000, Al-Jubeir became Director of the Saudi Information and Congressional Affairs Office at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC. In late 2000, he was named Foreign Affairs Advisor in the Crown Prince’s Court. In August 2005, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz appointed Al-Jubeir to the position of Advisor at the Royal Court.
Following the September 11 attacks, Al-Jubeir returned to the United States to address the many questions and criticisms that faced the Kingdom at that time. Al-Jubeir became the face of Saudi Arabia through hundreds of television appearances as well as other media interviews and visited more than 25 cities around the country where he gave talks to World Affairs Councils, universities, civic organizations, business institutions and other interested groups about current events and the state of Saudi/U.S. relations.
Diplomatic career
On 21 December 2006, Saudi Arabia informed the United States Department of StateUnited States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
of its intention to appoint Al-Jubeir as the new ambassador to Washington. Ambassador Al-Jubeir replaced Turki bin Faisal Al Saud, who served as ambassador for 15 months. Al-Jubeir was appointed by royal decree as Saudi Ambassador to the United States of America with ministerial rank at the Foreign Ministry on 29 January 2007.
As ambassador, Al-Jubeir has focused on strengthening the bilateral relationship by building ties across government departments in both countries. Another key area of focus has been the welfare of Saudi citizens living in the United States. Other issues of focus include counter-terrorism, regional peace and security, bilateral trade, cultural exchange and interfaith dialogue. Prior to becoming ambassador, he was instrumental in establishing and maintaining the U.S.-Saudi Strategic Dialogue, which was initiated by King Abdullah and President Bush as a means to institutionalize relations between the two nations and deepen coordination on strategic, political and economic issues.
Ambassador Al-Jubeir travels frequently to the Kingdom for consultations with the King and other senior Saudi officials. He is regularly seen with King Abdullah in meetings with world leaders and has accompanied King Abdullah on many state visits including China, India, Pakistan, and Malaysia in 2006 and Germany, Italy, Turkey, and Egypt in 2007.
In November 2007, Ambassador Al-Jubeir was part of King Abdullah’s delegation on visits to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where King Abduallah met with Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
, first meeting between a Saudi monarch and a Pope. In July 2008, King Abdullah convened an interfaith conference in Madrid, Spain, bringing together major figures from Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism and Confucianism to reinforce the common values shared by their respective faiths.
In November 2007, Al-Jubeir joined Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal for the meeting of the Arab League Foreign Ministers in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
in preparation for the Annapolis Peace Conference. He was also a member of the Saudi delegation to the Annapolis Peace Conference in November 2007.
During Ambassador Al-Jubeir’s tenure, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. have signed a series of bilateral agreements in key areas including civil nuclear cooperation, enhanced security arrangements, reciprocal visa policies, health and medical services, science and technology cooperation, among others. The two countries have established two Joint Task Forces— one to combat terrorists, another to combat terror financing. Experts from both governments work side-by-side, sharing real-time information about terror networks. In addition, the two countries have extensive cooperation between their two militaries.
In October 2010, Saudi intelligence provided key information to American officials that foiled an attempted terrorist plot involving parcel bombs heading to the United States that originated in Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. The bombs were found and defused before reaching their intended targets.
Al-Jubeir has enhanced the embassy’s focus on its ties with the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
through extensive meetings and briefings with members of Congress and staff as well as facilitating visits to the Kingdom. In the spring of 2007, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
visited the Kingdom with a Congressional delegation, the first visit by a sitting Speaker of the House.
In addition, the tempo of visits by senior U.S. officials have increased substantially during his tenure as ambassador, including two visits by President Bush, multiple visits by Vice President Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
and a visit by President Obama in 2009. Other visits have included National Security Advisors James L. Jones
James L. Jones
James Logan Jones, Jr. is the former United States National Security Advisor and a retired United States Marine Corps General....
and Thomas Donilon; Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
; Secretaries of Treasury Henry Paulson
Henry Paulson
Henry Merritt "Hank" Paulson, Jr. is an American banker who served as the 74th United States Secretary of the Treasury. He previously served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Goldman Sachs.-Early life and family:...
and Timothy Geithner; Secretary of Energy Steven Chu
Steven Chu
Steven Chu is an American physicist and the 12th United States Secretary of Energy. Chu is known for his research at Bell Labs in cooling and trapping of atoms with laser light, which won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997, along with his scientific colleagues Claude Cohen-Tannoudji and...
; Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
Robert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
; CENTCOM Commanders General David Petraeus
David Petraeus
David Howell Petraeus is the current Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, sworn in on September 6, 2011. Prior to his assuming the directorship of the CIA, Petraeus was a four-star general serving over 37 years in the United States Army. His last assignments in the Army were as commander...
and James Mattis
James Mattis
James N. Mattis is a United States Marine Corps general and the current commander of United States Central Command. Having replaced David Petraeus on August 11, 2010, he previously commanded United States Joint Forces Command from November 9, 2007 to August 2010 and served concurrently as NATO's...
; Homeland Security Advisor John O. Brennan
John O. Brennan
John O. Brennan is chief counterterrorism advisor to U.S. President Barack Obama; officially his title is Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, and Assistant to the President...
and Special Envoys George J. Mitchell
George J. Mitchell
George John Mitchell, Jr., is the former U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace under the Obama administration. A Democrat, Mitchell was a United States Senator who served as the Senate Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995...
, Dennis Ross
Dennis Ross
Dennis B. Ross is an American diplomat and author. He has served as the Director of Policy Planning in the State Department under President George H. W...
, Richard Holbrooke
Richard Holbrooke
Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke was an American diplomat, magazine editor, author, professor, Peace Corps official, and investment banker....
and a large number of sub cabinet officials.
Visits to the United States by Senior Saudi officials since 2007 have included two Heads of State visits by King Abdullah in November of 2008 and July of 2010. In addition, there were visits by Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Director of General Intelligence Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs Prince Muhammed bin Naif, Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi
Ali Al-Naimi
Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi is the Saudi Arabian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. Al-Naimi joined Saudi Aramco as a young man and was educated in the United States at Lehigh University under the company's educational program. He later earned his Master's Degree in Geology at Stanford...
, Finance Minister Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al-Assaf
Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al-Assaf
Dr. Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Assaf is the current Finance Minister of Saudi Arabia.-Biography:Dr. Ibrahim was born in the Qassim Province in central Saudi Arabia. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Economic and Political Science from King Saud University, Riyadh in 1971...
, Governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency Mohammed Al-Jasser and Minister of Commerce Abdullah Alireza.
In addition to visits by government officials, there have been numerous trade delegations to and from both countries as well as academic exchanges. These visits reflect the breadth and depth of the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia.
Ambassador Al-Jubeir served as the Escorting Minister for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama on their respective visits to the Kingdom.
On 3 June 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama traveled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on a two-day official visit to Saudi Arabia. President Obama was received by King Abdullah, Second Deputy Prime Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz and Ambassador Al-Jubeir at King Khalid International Airport
King Khalid International Airport
King Khalid International Airport is located north of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, designed by the architectural firm HOK.The airport includes the terminals, mosque, the control tower and two parallel runways, each long...
.
During his visit to Saudi Arabia, President Obama stated that he chose Saudi Arabia as the first stop on his Middle East tour because the Kingdom is a key ally and the cradle of Islam. The President and King Abdullah met and held extensive bilateral talks at the King’s ranch in Al-Janadriyah on the outskirts of Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
. During their discussions, the two leaders focused on regional and international developments and Saudi-U.S. bilateral relations. King Abdullah presented President Obama with the King Abdulaziz Medal, the Kingdom’s highest award bestowed to heads of state and world leaders.
On 29 June 2010, Ambassador Al-Jubeir attended a meeting between King Abdullah and U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. The two held on talks on a wide range of issues of mutual interest and common concern.
On 8 January 2011, Ambassador Al-Jubeir attended a meeting in New York between King Abdullah and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
and former U.S. President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
as well as meetings between the King and French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
and United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
.
Ambassador Al-Jubeir served as a member of the Kingdom’s United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
delegation in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Furthermore, Ambassador Al-Jubeir attended G20 summit meetings in Washington, D.C. in 2008, London in 2009 and Toronto in 2010.
In 2007, he headed the Kingdom’s delegation to the Law of the Seas Conference at the United Nations. In 2009, he met with UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon to discuss the ongoing situation in Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
and in July 2011, he led the Saudi delegation to the U.N. High Level Meeting on Youth.
Developments during tenure as ambassador
In fewer than five years, the Saudi-U.S. relationship has grown substantially in the fields of security, economic relations and cultural exchange. Saudi students enrolled at colleges and universities are at an all-time high, reaching more than 45,000 students as of June 2011, up from about 8,000 in December 2006. Improved visa policies by both countries have also led to record numbers of visitors, with each country issuing nearly 70,000 visas in 2010 (NCUSAR Policymakers Conference). As a result of an agreement reached in May 2008, the two countries agreed to issue five-year multiple-entry visas to citizens of both countries.The U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, James B. Smith
James B. Smith
James B. Smith is the current United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Selected by President Barack Obama, he was sworn in on September 16, 2009.-Professional career:...
stated, “Offering new types of visas to foreign scientists and experts, as well as for student exchanges in scientific fields, opens doors for the people of Saudi Arabia to learn from other countries and for the world to learn from and about Saudi Arabia.”
Investments between the two countries are also at record numbers. The United States is the number one source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Saudi Arabia with $8.1 billion in 2009, a 56.5 percent increase from 2008. In 2010, Alcoa and Saudi Ma’aden signed a contract worth approximately $15 billion to build the world’s largest aluminum refinery and smelter complex in the Kingdom. In 2011, Saudi Aramco
Saudi Aramco
Saudi Aramco , officially the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, is the national oil company of Saudi Arabia.Saudi Aramco is the world's largest and most valuable privately-held company, with estimates of its value in 2011 to be $7 trillion USD.Saudi Aramco has both the largest proven crude oil reserves,...
and Dow Chemical Company approved the formation of a joint venture to build and operate a world-scale, fully integrated chemical complex in Jubail Industrial City, valued at $20 billion. In 2008, SABIC and ExxonMobil began conducting a detailed study for a new Elastomers project at their petrochemical joint ventures, Kemya and Yanpet. Once completed, the project will have a total investment of approximately $5 billion. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is also a large investor in the U.S. economy.
Arms transfers
Ongoing arms sales between the countries are a testament to the longstanding Saudi military partnership with the United States. In 2008, the Kingdom secured sophisticated weapon systems, which include the Joint Direct Attack Munitions.In October 2010, the Obama Administration notified Congress of a proposed arms sale to Saudi Arabia up to an estimated $60 billion – the largest U.S arms sale in history. The sale is meant to further align the Saudi military relationship with the United States and allow the Kingdom to better protect its security and oil infrastructure, which “is critical to our economic interests,” said Andrew Shapiro, assistant secretary for political and military affairs, at a State Department news conference. The agreement will include the sale of 84 F-15 fighter aircraft, almost 200 helicopters and the upgrading of 70 older-model F-15s.
For both arms transfers, Ambassador Al-Jubeir led an effort which brought together support from industry, labor, Congress and the Administration to ensure that the agreements were approved without objection.
Background
In December 2002, Al-Jubeir was chosen as Person of the Week by TimeTime
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
. He has lectured at universities and academic institutions in the U.S. and appears frequently in the media.
In 2009, he received the Ambassador of the Year award from the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce for his contributions to Saudi-U.S. relations. In 2011, he was presented with the Diplomatic Achievement Award from the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.
External links
- Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington: Biography of the ambassador
- The Saudi’s Red Carpet, The Washington Diplomat, 13 September 2007.
- Royal Order Appoints Jubeir as Ambassador to USA, Saudi Press Agency (SPA), 29 January 2007.
- Saudi Arabia Set to Name Jubeir as Ambassador, The Washington Post, 21 December 2006.
- The Saudi/U.S. Relationship with Foreign Affairs Advisor Adel Al-Jubeir, “Viewpoint” Washingtonpost.com, 13 July 2005.
- Saudis Reform Charities as Antiterror Measure, CNN.com, 2 June 2004.
- Person of the Week: Adel Al-Jubeir, Time, 5 December 2002.
- Peace Prosperity: An Interview with Saudi Ambassador Al-Jubeir, Diplomatic Connection, August 2009.