The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the entity responsible for implementing the foreign policy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Headquartered in Riyadh, its tasks include representing the Kingdom internationally, enhancing its role in the region and the world, establishing cooperative relationships with other countries, providing support to Saudi citizens residing abroad, and protecting their interests through its embassies and representatives.
The Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud established the General Directorate of Foreign Affairs in Makkah al-Mukarramah in 1926. Then, in 1930, just two years before the announcement of the Kingdom's unification, King Abdulaziz issued a Royal Order to establish the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, appointing his son, then-Prince Faisal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This appointment marked him as the Kingdom's first-ever Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs became the oldest ministry in the Kingdom.
King Faisal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud continued to serve as minister of foreign affairs, in addition to his royal responsibilities.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs organization
The minister of foreign affairs is appointed by a Royal Decree and is a member of the Council of Ministers. He is responsible for the overall management of the ministry and its affairs. The organizational structure of the ministry includes the position of minister of state for foreign affairs, whose task is to manage political and diplomatic affairs.
The responsibilities of the ministry's representations, including embassies, diplomatic missions, consulates, and delegations, encompass developing economic, cultural, and scientific relations between the Kingdom and other countries, in addition to fostering amicable relations.
Internal and external diplomatic representations
The foreign diplomatic missions in the Kingdom started with the establishment of the General Directorate of Foreign Affairs, initially encompassing nine missions. The number increased to twenty-nine missions concurrent with the establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The number continued to grow, reaching 157 representations, including ninety-eight embassies in Riyadh, and fifty-nine consulates in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dhahran.
In 1930, the first Saudi representation abroad was inaugurated in Cairo. The number of missions increased to five missions in 1936 and eighteen missions in 1951. Currently, the Kingdom has a total of 102 embassies, eighteen consulates, and five delegations and trade offices abroad.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs building design
Henning Larsen, a Danish national, designed the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in its fourth cycle (1987-1989.) The building covers an area of 83,000 m² and its construction began in 1980. Twelve international architectural firms competed to contribute to its design. The construction was completed in 1984. It contains office spaces capable of hosting approximately one thousand employees, along with spaces designated for meetings and conferences.
The entrance to the ministry leads to a four-story, triangular-shaped atrium. The offices are located around an octagonal courtyard covered by a dome. The courtyard is connected to the atrium by cylindrical bridges, inspired by traditional city neighborhoods.
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