RIYADH – Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan who is presently the Ambassador of India to the Republic of Lebanon has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia. This is reported in the Press Release of the Ministry of External Affairs of India and the Embassy of India in Riyadh in its tweet. This position has been vacant since March 2022 after leaving of former Ambassador, Dr. Ausaf Sayeed. Since then, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Indian Embassy Riyadh, Shri N. Ram Prasad was acting in lieu of the vacant position. It is informed that Dr. Khan is likely to assume office soon. Indian diaspora in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is overwhelmed by this news and is eagerly waiting to welcome him in Riyadh.
Various organizations’ Presidents including Dr. Sayeed Mohiuddin, President, NRI Forum Riyadh expressed their joy and extended best wishes to Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan.
Know Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan
Dr. Khan joined the coveted Indian Foreign Service in 1997. Dr. Khan’s first foreign assignment was to the Embassy of India, Cairo where between 1999-2001, apart from the other duties at the Embassy, he obtained an Advanced Diploma in Arabic Language from the American University, Cairo.
He later served at the Indian Embassy in Damascus, handling Administration, Press and Political Affairs between 2002-2005. His next assignment was as Consul at the Consulate General of India, Jeddah between 2005-2008, where he was handling a number of issues including the Haj matters and Haj arrangements for the Indian pilgrims. Later, Dr. Khan worked as Deputy Secretary in the WANA (West Asia North Africa) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs between 2008-2009 followed by a stint at the Indian High Commission, Islamabad between 2009-2011 where he handled Visa and Consular matters.
Between 2011 and 2013 Dr. Khan served as Director in the office of the Minister of State for External Affairs Mr. E. Ahamed.
Dr. Khan later moved to Vienna as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy and Permanent Mission of India. While in Vienna, Dr. Khan handled political and multilateral work. Between 2013 and 2017 he was part of the Indian delegations to the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), the UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) and the UNCOPUOS (United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space) meetings. He also served as Rapporteur of the Programme and Budget Committee of the IAEA in 2015, as G-77 Coordinator for the UNIDO matters in 2015 and as Governing Body representative on the Staff Pension Committee of the UNIDO from 2016-2017. He was also Head of the Indian Delegation to the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons in December 2014 in Vienna.
Dr. Khan served as a member of the United Nations Pension Board in 2016 and 2017.
Dr. Khan worked at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh between September 2017 – June 2019 as Deputy Chief of Mission, with the personal rank of Ambassador.
Dr. Khan has a graduate degree in Medicine from M.G.M. Medical College in Indore, India. Dr. Khan is married and his wife Rifat Jabeen Khan has long experience of working in International and UN organizations. They have two daughters.
