Saudi ambassador again departs US amid Khashoggi controversy
Ambassador Khalid bin Salman, who has faced scrutiny over his public handling of the Jamal Khashoggi affair, has left Washington for the second time since the journalist’s killing.
Saudi Ambassador to the United States Khalid bin Salman, who has faced withering criticism for his handling of the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, has left Washington for the second time since the killing.
News of his departure comes as the Financial Times reported Wednesday that Prince Khalid is next in line to become national security adviser, fueling speculation across Washington that he may have left his post for good.
The ambassador “is attending Formula E taking place just outside Riyadh and plans to be back afterwards,” an embassy spokeswoman told Al-Monitor via email.
The ambassador previously departed Washington in October under a fog of criticism after a Saudi prosecutor confirmed Riyadh’s role in the killing. Prince Khalid returned in late November to attend the funeral of former US President George H.W. Bush.
