Saudi King Names Son to be Ambassador to US

Saudi King Salman on Saturday appointed his son, Prince Khalid bin Salman, to serve as his nation’s ambassador to the United States. The new ambassador is a fighter pilot who has flown with coalition forces in missions against ISIS. Observers see the appointment as a statement of the importance of the relationship and an indication of the value the Saudis place on future arms sales with the United States. US-Saudi relations suffered during the Obama years, and the Saudis were vehemently opposed to the Iranian nuclear deal. Signs have been positive since Donald Trump took over, the Saudis clearly delighted with the early signs from the Trump administration. The prince/ambassador received his military aviation training in the United States.