On April 23rd, 2024, Ambassador Paul Beresford-Hill, the Permanent Observer, alongside Ambassador Michèle Bowe, the Order’s Ambassador to Palestine met with Ambassador Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations. The meeting delved into multifaceted discussions, encompassing humanitarian initiatives and regional stability.

Ambassador Al-Wasil has served as the Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations since August 2022. Throughout his career, he has primarily focused on multilateral and human rights affairs, areas in which he has extensive experience. Prior to this role, Ambassador Al-Wasil held various high-level positions including serving as the Saudi Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva from 2016, and as Deputy Head of Mission at the Saudi Embassy in London. He has also worked on human rights affairs at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and served as chargé d’affaires at the Saudi Embassy in Canberra. Ambassador Al-Wasil joined the Saudi Diplomatic Service in 1999 after starting his career as a college lecturer. He has also contributed to academia, with several articles on social and political issues published in both Arabic and English. He holds a doctorate in international relations, a master’s degree in political science, and a bachelor’s degree in Arabic language and literature.

Ambassador Beresford-Hill reminisced about his 2017 visit to Saudi Arabia, expressing admiration for the nation’s education system. In response, Ambassador Al-Wasil acknowledged the commendation, elaborating on Saudi Arabia’s ambitious diversification efforts encapsulated within Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030. Notably, the rapid transformation of the Kingdom’s tourism sector was highlighted, indicating its pivotal role in the nation’s socio-economic evolution.

Ambassador Beresford-Hill praised Saudi Arabia’s dedication to interreligious dialogue, highlighting its importance to both the Sovereign Order of Malta and the Kingdom. He commended specific Saudi initiatives, like the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre. for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, established in collaboration with Austria and Spain, for fostering dialogue among diverse religious and cultural groups globally. The ambassadors also discussed further global interreligious dialogue efforts endorsed by Saudi Arabia, including the 2008 Madrid Interfaith Dialogue Conference, sponsored by King Abdullah, which united delegates from various faiths. They noted its potential to inspire an annual interfaith conference and even the establishment of a UN council on interfaith dialogue. Moreover, they acknowledged Saudi Arabia’s more recent contributions to global interfaith dialogue, such as hosting the groundbreaking multifaith conference in Riyadh in 2022, focused on “Common Values Among the Followers of Religions,” which aimed to promote cooperation and harmony among communities worldwide.

Ambassador Al-Wasil then underscored the paramount importance of security and stability in the Middle East. This sentiment was echoed by Ambassador Beresford-Hill, who, in explaining the Sovereign Order of Malta’s rich historical legacy, emphasised the organisation’s contemporary initiatives across the globe. Ambassador Bowe also provided an in-depth overview of the Order’s humanitarian efforts in Palestine, emphasising the indispensable role of the Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem. Notably, she shed light on the hospital’s scholarship programmes aimed at nurturing future medical professionals, underscoring their pivotal contribution to regional development. Ambassador Bowe also expressed to Ambassador Al-Wasil her admiration for the high standard of healthcare in Saudi Arabia, acknowledging its leading role in the field of medicine. She highlighted the country’s exceptional medical facilities, significant contributions to medical research, and its commendable efforts to promote top-tier medical education, particularly for women. In response, Ambassador Al-Wasil affirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for the Order’s humanitarian mission, emphasising the Kingdom’s alignment with its core humanitarian objectives. Ambassador Beresford-Hill also affirmed the Order’s willingness to collaborate with Saudi Arabia on humanitarian initiatives.