Saudi embassy in Washington appoints first spokeswoman

Saudi Arabia has appointed its first female spokesperson to represent the kingdom at its embassy in Washington, D.C.

Fatimah Baeshen announced her posting in a tweet early on Wednesday morning, in which she said she was proud to serve her country.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity, the support, and well wishes,” she wrote.

Proud to serve the @SaudiEmbassyUSA as the spokeswoman. I’m grateful for the opportunity, the support, and well wishes #KSA

— Fatimah S Baeshen (@FatimahSBaeshen) September 26, 2017

Baeshen’s LinkedIn profile says she is a socioeconomic strategist who has “advised the private, public, third and NGO sectors in the United States and Arabian Gulf”.

She holds a master’s degree focused on Islamic finance from the University of Chicago, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Massachusetts.

The Saudi national spent several years working for the Saudi Ministry of Labour and the Saudi Ministry of Economy and Planning before returning to the US in 2017, where she was a director at the Arabia Foundation, a Washington-based think tank.

Baeshen has also worked as a consultant for the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank and the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development.

News of her appointment came shortly after Saudi King Salman’s historic announcement that women in the kingdom would be granted the right to drive.

Baeshen hailed the decision on Twitter, describing it as a “pivotal moment in Saudi history”.

Pivotal moment in Saudi history: women granted the right to drive. #Progress #Vision2030

— Fatimah S Baeshen (@FatimahSBaeshen) September 26, 2017

Read: Saudi women rejoice at end of driving ban