JEDDAH: The newly appointed Saudi Ambassador to Bahrain, Abdulmohsen Fahd Almarek, yesterday highlighted the strong relations between the two Gulf neighbors. Almarek made his comments after meeting Bahrain’s Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs, Sheikh Khaled bin Ali Al-Khalifa, in Manama.
“The Saudi Embassy in Manama will continue its efforts to serve the interests of the two sisterly countries, matching the expectations of the two leaderships,” he said. During the meeting, Sheikh Khaled underscored the importance and strength of relations between the two countries.
Bahrain’s Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa recently visited the Kingdom and met Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
The Saudi ruler honored Sheikh Khalifa by conferring on him the King Abdul Aziz Medallion that is given to world leaders.
Almarek, who was deputy head of protocol at the Foreign Ministry, told Saudi students in Bahrain that they should consider the Saudi Embassy in Manama their second home. About 3,300 Saudis are currently pursuing higher studies at Bahraini colleges and universities. Sixty-three of them were honored during a reception held in Manama in honor of the new ambassador.
Born in Riyadh in 1952, Almarek obtained his master’s and doctoral degrees in international management and relations from US universities. He began his career at the Foreign Ministry in 1973. He worked as first secretary at the Saudi Embassy in Washington from 1977 to 1983. He was appointed director general of the Department of Diplomacy and Protocol at the ministry in 1991.
Almarek has participated in organizing major GCC, Arab, Islamic and international conferences in the Kingdom since 1985. He has been a member of Saudi delegations that attended major events in different countries. He authored “Diplomacy: Between Science and Art” in 2006.
