RIYADH: After five years of diplomatic service, Clive Aquilina Spagnol, the outgoing ambassador of Malta to Saudi Arabia, has concluded his post but will remain in the Kingdom, reaffirming his commitment to a country he calls his “newfound home.”
When he first arrived, he aimed to explore Saudi Arabia and immerse himself in its culture, language and people, saying: “I want to learn about Saudi Arabia, about Saudi people, I want to go through the walls, see how they work and see how they live, what they think and discover that they think beautifully, they are open-minded, they traveled the world.”
Spagnol noted that while dress may differ, there is much overlap between the people of Saudi Arabia and Malta.
The envoy began his mission in November 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown.
During his tenure, the ambassador “realigned the strategy for furthering cooperation” between Saudi Arabia and Malta, highlighting that Malta had not fully understood certain market gaps, particularly in manufacturing and education.
“Diplomatic cooperation started decades ago, and they were quite active or modestly active in the ’80s,” he said. “For the past six years, even seven years, the engagement has improved a lot (between Saudi Arabia and Malta).”
Spagnol highlighted that during his mission, he aimed to “align our expectations of engagement,” noting that there was no heavy need to focus on teaching English: “Because all the young ones speak perfect English.
“There was a prior understanding that Malta could cooperate with Saudi Arabia to teach English as a foreign language, but many students already spoke English,” he added.
The ambassador also expressed his love for serving as both ambassador and consul, saying: “Through the consular work, you meet families, you meet beautiful families, you have a lot of contact with the real Saudis.”
Spagnol voluntarily served as both ambassador and consul, explaining: “An ambassador at times feels a little bit of a demotion to do the consular work because it’s a lower level. I saw a big opportunity there and that’s what made me make a lot of friends.
“As an ambassador, the role allowed me to build a professional network, but as consul, I was able to build lifelong friendships in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
“I traveled a lot internally, visited many travel agents, and explored all regions myself because when they see it on LinkedIn, they see that it is a nice place,” Spagnol added.
“I traveled practically all over. In most cases, I was the first Maltese in Najran, Jouf, and Tabuk,” he said, emphasizing that he wanted to learn firsthand: “Saudi Arabia is not just Riyadh or Jeddah or Dammam. That will trigger someone to visit.”
The envoy highlighted that documenting his journey and travels in the Kingdom inspired more people to visit. “Saudi tourism is also increasing to Malta and vice versa,” he said.
This doesn’t mark the end of Spagnol’s journey in Saudi Arabia. “I am proud of it ... I am staying in Saudi Arabia, I am not moving out of the Kingdom,” he said. “I decided to make this place my home,” adding that it “exceeded my expectations.”
He also shared that he was “immersed in the Saudi culture,” spending time with families and camping in the desert with Saudi families.
Spagnol is no stranger to the Gulf; this year marks 10 years of experience in the region, having worked and resided in Qatar, the UAE and Oman.
