Report: Sabhan Aide to Become Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon

An aide to firebrand Saudi State Minister for Gulf Affairs Thamer al-Sabhan has been nominated to become Riyadh's new ambassador to Lebanon, a media report said on Wednesday.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has decided to appoint the diplomat Walid al-Yaaqoubi as its ambassador to Lebanon,” al-Markazia news agency reported.

“It has sent his credentials to the Foreign Ministry via its embassy in Beirut,” the agency said.

“He will arrive in Lebanon once the kingdom receives the (Lebanese) Foreign Ministry's approval,” al-Markazia reported.

According to information obtained by the news agency, Yaaqoubi had worked as a diplomat at the kingdom's embassy in Beirut in the past and is currently an aide to Minister al-Sabhan.

Sabhan had recently posted blistering anti-Hizbullah tweets, with al-Mustaqbal Movement describing his remarks as a Saudi “warning message.”

“The Lebanese must choose whether they want to support or oppose (Hizbullah), seeing as the blood of Arabs is precious,” said the minister in a September 4 tweet.

And in a September 8 tweet, Sabhan said “Iran and its eldest child, Hizbul Shaitan (Hizbullah), are the cradle of terrorism and extremism in the world.”

Hizbullah has not issued an official response to the Saudi minister's remarks.

Riyadh did not appoint a new ambassador to Lebanon after the departure of its envoy Ali Awadh Asiri in 2016.

Walid al-Bukhari is currently serving as the Saudi Embassy's charge d'affaires.