Ridwaan Jadwat is the Australian ambassador-designate to the Kingdom. On Monday, he called on Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir and handed over copies of his credentials to him in preparation for presenting them to King Salman.

Jadwat is a senior career officer associated with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). According to his profile available of the Australian government website, he was most recently on secondment as assistant secretary and head of policy, ASEAN-Australia Summit 2018 Taskforce in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C).

Jadwat holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honors) and a Bachelor of Economics (Social Sciences) from the University of Sydney.

He has previously served overseas as the counselor, Australian High Commission, Kuala Lumpur; and deputy head of mission, Australian Embassy, Tehran. In Canberra, he has served as assistant secretary, South and Southeast Asia, Americas and Middle East Branch, PM&C; and director, ASEAN and EAS Section, DFAT.

Jadwat has earlier served as the second secretary at the Australian Embassy in Riyadh. In 2002, he represented Australia and its Muslim population at the washing of the Holy Kaaba ceremony in Makkah.

“It was the fourth time that I have been granted the privilege of entering the inner sanctum of the Kaaba and performing prayers inside Islam’s holiest site. It remains a vivid and deeply moving experience,” he wrote in an article published in Arab News on Oct. 27, 2002.

Saudi Arabia and Australia enjoy excellent ties. The two sides are working together to develop human resources. The Technical and Vocational Training Corp. of Saudi Arabia is working on several projects in collaboration Australian institutions to provide young Saudis with technical training.