New US ambassador to Saudi arrives in Riyadh after two-year gap

John Abizaid is a decorated military commander who has fought in six wars

Retired four-star Army General John Abizaid and US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia has called for a strong response against those responsible for tanker attacks. Reuters

The new US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, retired general John Abizaid, arrived in Riyadh on Thursday, filling a position vacant since President Donald Trump took office more than two years ago.

Washington has not had an ambassador in Riyadh since January 2017, a period in which US-Saudi ties have become increasingly complicated.

Mr Trump nominated Mr Abizaid, who became head of US Central Command during the Iraq war, for the position in November 2018. He was approved by the Senate in April.

"Saudi Arabia and the United States work together every day to protect the security of our two countries, promote prosperity and economic development, and build the people-to-people ties that keep our relationship strong," said Mr Abizaid, 68.

Riyadh has made multibillion-dollar purchases of US military equipment and investments in US companies, and serves a role as an important regional counterbalance to Iran.

As a student at Harvard University, Mr Abizaid wrote his thesis on Saudi Arabia. He focused on Saudi defence spending decisions and his paper won high praise from fellow academics.

Until recently, he was a consultant and a fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.