Saudi Arabia Declines Accreditation of Two Consecutive Ambassadors: Mokhtar Ould Dahi and Abdallah Ould Kebd

Concerns are rising in Mauritania over the inability to appoint an ambassador whose accreditation would be accepted by Saudi Arabia, following the consecutive decline of two nominees. Abdallah Ould Kebd, proposed in July 2023, received no response for 13 months, followed by Mokhtar Ould Dahi, appointed in August, whose accreditation was similarly implicitly declined after three months without an official reply.

This is not an isolated case, as Saudi Arabia had previously declined the accreditation of **Sidi Ali Ould Sidi Ali**. These incidents highlight a possible disagreement over selection criteria, emphasizing the need for Mauritania to reevaluate its strategy in appointing ambassadors to such a key partner as Saudi Arabia.