Saudi foreign minister appoints Manal Radwan special envoy for negotiations and peace efforts

RIYADH — Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has appointed Manal Hassan Radwan as adviser and special envoy to the foreign minister for negotiations and peace efforts.The appointment places the veteran Saudi diplomat in a role focused on negotiations and peace initiatives at a time when the Kingdom continues to play an active diplomatic role in efforts to resolve regional and international crises.Radwan has extensive experience in diplomacy, international negotiations, conflict resolution and multilateral affairs, having held several senior positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and represented Saudi Arabia at the United Nations and other international forums.Prior to her latest appointment, she served as minister plenipotentiary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Radwan has served as an adviser at the Foreign Ministry since 2017 and later as an adviser at the Office of the Minister of State for African Affairs. She joined the Office of the Foreign Minister as an adviser in 2021.Her diplomatic career has also included more than five years with Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York between 2012 and 2017.She previously served at the Kingdom’s mission to the Arab League in Cairo and at the Saudi Embassy in Washington, where her work included congressional and political affairs.Radwan has also played a prominent role in Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic efforts related to the Palestinian issue.In May 2025, she headed the Saudi delegation to the United Nations preparatory meeting for the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, an initiative co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France.Her academic background is closely aligned with her new responsibilities. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science and government from George Washington University, as well as a master’s degree in peace studies and conflict resolution and a PhD in the same field from George Mason University.She also holds a postgraduate diploma in international human rights law from the American University in Cairo.Throughout her career, Radwan has worked on strategic foreign policy issues, diplomatic negotiations, international initiatives and coordination with governments and regional and international organizations.