RIYADH: Atallah bin Zaied Al-Zaied became the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Saudi Arabia to Chad on Tuesday.
Al-Zaied presented his credentials to the Chadian president, Mahamat Idriss Deby, in the capital N’Djamena. He conveyed the greetings and best wishes of the Saudi leadership for the continued progress and prosperity of the Chadian government, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Al-Zaied replaces the outgoing ambassador, Amer bin Ali Al-Shahri.
Chad borders Sudan and Libya, both members of the Arab League. Over the years, Saudi Arabia’s charitable arm, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, has provided medical, food, and humanitarian aid to communities in Chad, while the Saudi Fund for Development supported the government with loans for various projects.
In February, the SFD provided a $50 million loan to the Chadian government for the construction and equipping of a cardiac center at Al-Nahda Hospital. Since 1976, SFD has financed six development projects in Chad with concessional loans exceeding $131 million, according to the SPA.
