Middle East Monitoring Desk IslamabadSaudi Arabia has appointed Dr. Rajeh bin Tami Al-Baqami as its new ambassador to Pakistan, replacing Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, as the longtime allies deepen cooperation on defense, investment and regional security amid growing instability in the Middle East. Al-Malki has been posted to Algeria.
Al-Baqami was among eight newly appointed Saudi envoys who took the oath of office the office this week, according to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and before His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the newly appointed ambassadors to a number of brotherly and friendly countries took the oath,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
A retired major general, Al-Baqami later joined the Saudi Foreign Ministry with the rank of ambassador. He holds a doctorate in Human Resource Management from Brunel University London.
His appointment comes less than a year after Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a landmark Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement under which any aggression against one country would be considered an attack against both, formalizing decades of military cooperation between the two allies.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have also significantly expanded economic cooperation, with the Kingdom pledging billions of dollars in investments in Pakistan under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 strategy while continuing to provide financial support that has helped Islamabad stabilize its economy during recurring balance-of-payments crises.
Riyadh has long been among Pakistan’s largest sources of oil on deferred payment and has repeatedly deposited billions of dollars with Pakistan’s central bank to bolster its foreign exchange reserves.
Relations have grown even closer in recent months as the two countries have coordinated closely on regional security issues, including the conflict involving Iran. Pakistan also deployed military assets to Saudi Arabia this year, according to a Reuters report, after attacks heightened security concerns in the Kingdom.
Al-Baqami succeeds Al-Malki, who served as Saudi ambassador to Pakistan during a period marked by intensified political engagement, expanding security cooperation and growing Saudi investment in the South Asian country.
