Afghanistan Welcomes Saudi Arabia’s Decision to Resume Diplomatic Operations in Kabul
The Afghan Foreign Ministry has expressed approval of Saudi Arabia’s decision to resume diplomatic operations in Kabul, marking a significant shift after more than three years since Riyadh withdrew its staff during the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
In a statement on Monday, Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Zia Ahmad expressed optimism about the potential for strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation between the two nations. He also noted that the resumption of diplomatic activities would enable Afghanistan to better address the concerns of its citizens residing in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia made the announcement of the resumption of its diplomatic mission on the social media platform X, stating that the decision was made in response to the Kingdom’s desire to provide services to the Afghan people. The mission officially resumed its operations on December 22, 2024.
However, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately clarify the level of diplomatic representation in Kabul. Riyadh had previously pulled its diplomats from the Afghan capital in August 2021 due to the unstable situation following the Taliban’s return to power after the U.S. withdrawal.
While Saudi Arabia resumed consular services in Afghanistan in November 2021 and has been providing humanitarian aid through its KSRelief organization, it had not reinstated full diplomatic operations until now. The Taliban government remains unrecognized by any country, though Saudi Arabia was one of only three nations—along with Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates—that recognized the first Taliban regime after it took power in 1996.
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