Timeline of the Formation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Saudi Arabia

The Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud established the General Directorate of Foreign Affairs in Makkah al-Mukarramah. Diplomatic missions then operating in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia amounted to nine missions.

The first Saudi representation abroad was inaugurated in Cairo, the Arab Republic of Egypt.

King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud issued a Royal Order to establish the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, around two years before the unification of the Kingdom, thus becoming the oldest ministry in the Kingdom. He appointed his son, Prince Faisal (later King Faisal) as its minister, becoming the first minister of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After its establishment, the number of foreign diplomatic missions in the Kingdom increased to twenty-nine missions.

The number of Saudi representations abroad increased to five missions.

The number of Saudi representations abroad increased to eighteen missions.

Foreign diplomatic representation in the Kingdom reached 157 representations, including ninety-eight embassies in Riyadh and fifty-nine consulates in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dhahran. The number of Saudi representations abroad reached 102 embassies, eighteen consulates, five delegations, and one commercial office.