JEDDAH — Rafik Mansour has assumed his duties as the new U.S. Consul General in Jeddah, bringing decades of diplomatic experience to a post central to American engagement with western Saudi Arabia and the broader Islamic world. He will also serve as Washington's representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), headquartered in Jeddah. Mansour presented his credentials on April 6 to Fareed Al-Shehri, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs branch in the Makkah Region. A career diplomat and Minister-Counselor in the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, Mansour's previous assignments have taken him to key global capitals including Paris, Moscow, Rome, and Singapore, as well as posts in the Middle East and North Africa such as Baghdad, Tripoli, and Algiers. In his new role, Mansour is expected to focus on expanding bilateral cooperation in trade, cultural exchange, and education. He succeeds Faris Younis Asad, who completed his tenure earlier this year.
