Saudi Arabia appoints third female ambassador Inas al-Shahwan to Sweden and Iceland

Inas al-Shahwan was sworn in on Thursday as Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Sweden and Iceland as she took an oath virtually in front of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and in the presence of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, making her the Kingdom’s third female ambassador.

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that al-Shahwan expressed her gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their “confidence in appointing her as Ambassador to Sweden and Iceland.”

She noted the unprecedented empowerment of women in the Kingdom - under the guidance of the wise leadership - during which they achieved many successes in various fields, including diplomatic work, representation of the Kingdom abroad, and international forums, according to SPA.

Al-Shahwan also thanked Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, for his “keenness and interest in supporting and empowering Saudi female diplomats, who have become one of the pillars of the political and diplomatic work system inside and outside the Kingdom,” SPA reported.

The Kingdom appointed its first female ambassador, Princess Reema bint Bandar, in February 2019 to represent Saudi Arabia in the United States.

In October 2020, Saudi Arabia appointed its second female ambassador. Amal Yahya al-Moallimi, is the Kingdom’s ambassador to Norway.