Abdullah Muteb Alrasheed is the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Czech Republic. Alrasheed studied at several prominent universities, including political science at the King Saud University, diplomacy at the Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies, and he has completed several internships in the United States and in European countries, including at the University of Oxford.
During his extensive diplomatic career, he worked in many countries, including in the United States, serving in the Saudi Mission to the United Nations in New York. He also has served in diplomatic missions in Spain and Ukraine. He officially became the Kingdom’s ambassador to the Czech Republic in April of this year.
In an exclusive interview, the ambassador sat down with New Europe in his office in Prague to discuss Saudi-Czech relations, as well as topics related to the Kingdom’s relationship with Europe.
New Europe (NE): Congratulations on your “relatively new” position as Saudi Ambassador to the Czech Republic. It appears that you are quite energized by the new position. Is it what you expected, and what aspects may have surprised you?
Abdullah Muteb Alrasheed (AMA): Ambassadors do not usually choose the tasks entrusted to them by the Saudi leadership, but rather they are committed to representing the Kingdom in the best possible way. The main goal is to contribute to strengthening bilateral relations between the Kingdom and the country to which the ambassador was sent. As for me personally, I am of course happy for the honor given to me to represent my
country in the Czech Republic, which is also a member of the European Union. We, diplomats, have to be prepared to take things as they are, so I haven’t found anything unexpected. I am ready to represent my country in the best way, and I insist on strengthening the good bilateral relations between the two countries on the one hand, and between the Kingdom and the European Union on the other.
NE: How have you found your reception by the citizenry and officials here in the
Czech Republic?
AMA: I was warmly received by officials of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
and felt a shared desire to strengthen bilateral relations. This was evident from my
numerous meetings with Czech officials in various sectors. The Czech people also
seem to be hospitable and kind, and I look forward to getting to know as many of
them as I can during my stay in the Czech Republic.
NE: Being one of the newest representatives of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the European Union. What are some of the challenges that you see in representing the interests of the Kingdom in the West?
AMA: We have excellent relations with the European Union as a whole, and we want
to develop relations in a way that contributes to strengthening them further to the benefit of the Saudi people, and the people of the European Union. It should be noted that the relationship of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the West is not new or recent, but rather has roots that go back in history, and our relationship aims to promote our nations’ common interests within an environment of mutual respect and understanding.
NE: Having spent some time in the Kingdom myself, I know that things are changing and developing very fast. I also know that the Kingdom is very forward-looking and that the people and society are very hospitable and open to Americans, Europeans, and Westerners in general. How do you see the way forward to get that message across to the people of the Czech Republic, and the rest of the EU, considering some of the perceptions the last few years?
AMA: Part of our role as diplomats is to work hard to dispel those perceptions and stereotypes that you refer to, and present our country in its current true image. That is, as a country with great history and culture, that is undergoing a radical correction in its political, economic and social path, according to the ambitious program “Vision 2030“ adopted by His Royal Majesty King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness, the young crown prince Mohamad Bin Salman Al Saud. The Saudi leadership has emphasized on more than one occasion that it will not allow the ideas of extremism to distract us from our goals, and that it will work very seriously to advance the Saudi society in its civil development project, enlightened by moderation and legitimate aspirations on the one hand, and against two of the fiercest enemies of human civilization, namely terrorism and corruption on the other.
NE: What are some of the priorities of the Kingdom for relations with Europe and the EU in the near term?
AMA: As I mentioned earlier, the most prominent goal of Saudi diplomacy is to build
distinguished friendly relations with the countries of the European continent in all sectors, and this applies to my work within the framework of my mission in the Czech Republic. We look upon the ancient European civilization with great admiration and appreciation. From this point of view, our young people have benefited from active scientific scholarship opportunities from the Kingdom, allowing students to study in most European countries, and other developed societies around the world. Our leadership desires to learn and transfer these cultural and civilizational experiences from these countries and work to achieve optimal benefit from those opportunities. In addition to this cultural and scientific aspect, we must, of course, not forget the complex and diversified economic aspect, because the Kingdom is an important place for many Western countries to market their goods and services in many spheres of economic life.
NE: What are your personal priorities specifically in terms of representing the interests of the Kingdom in the Czech Republic? What are you looking to accomplish in the next year, year and a half?
AMA: First, I will seek to enhance economic cooperation between the Kingdom and the Czech Republic by strengthening communication between stakeholders and officials in their different positions. In this context, the second meeting of the Czech-Saudi Joint Economic Committee, which is expected during November 2021, is timely planned to push this agenda forward. I will personally participate in most of the meetings, hoping that we will be able to foster the desired positive change in bilateral relations, especially at the economic level.
NE: Any personal experiences with the people of the Czech Republic you would
like to share that are interesting or unique? Any message you would like to send to the Czech people or citizens of the EU in general?
AMA: As I said before, we are very impressed with the European civilization in all sectors, and this is evident from the cultural and architectural heritage spread across the world. There is no doubt that the Czech Republic also stores important treasures in this regard, and I am looking forward to getting to know them thoroughly. I would also like to work to encourage Czech tourists to visit our Kingdom, with the aim of getting acquainted with the enormous cultural and historical treasures that we have, which, unfortunately, are still unknown to the European visitor. Our unique culture and civilization are among the global treasures that we must preserve and allow others to see and know.
