{"record":{"aliases":["Asad Al-Faqih","Asad Mansur al-Faqih"],"appointmentIds":["saudi-arabia-9588f239ce5642","saudi-arabia-76f1e9a8d0a5fa"],"appointmentsDataset":"https://chanceries.org/diplomats.json","archivalSources":["truman-1947"],"canonicalUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/saudi-arabia-person-assad-al-faqih-125eac1beb/","countrySlug":"saudi-arabia","entityId":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/saudi-arabia-person-assad-al-faqih-125eac1beb/#person","eventIds":[],"expandedParagraphs":["Assad al-Faqih helped establish Saudi Arabia's permanent diplomatic presence in the United States after the Second World War. He studied law at Saint Joseph University in Lebanon and entered Saudi service before working in Baghdad. He joined the Foreign Ministry in November 1933 and was later promoted to minister in Iraq. He joined Prince Faisal's delegation to the conference that founded the United Nations in San Francisco in 1945.","Al-Faqih was serving as minister by 8 February 1946. He presented ambassadorial credentials to Truman on 4 March 1949. He also represented Saudi Arabia at the United Nations: Prince Faisal notified the secretary-general of his permanent appointment in July 1948. In January 1947 he and Ali Alireza, who would later head the same embassy, accompanied Crown Prince Saud on his visit to President Harry Truman.","After Washington, al-Faqih inspected Saudi missions as a roving ambassador and became minister of state for foreign affairs in 1960. He retired to Lebanon and died in California in April 1989. His home library contained more than 5,000 volumes."],"id":"saudi-arabia:saudi-arabia-person-assad-al-faqih","identifiers":{},"legacyPersonIds":[],"legacyUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplomat-125eac1bebaabbb38423.html","name":"Assad Al-Faqih","notes":[{"sourceIds":["truman-calendar-1946-02-08-al-faqih","frus-1949-vi-d1099-elevation","mission-a34bd85cec35f1aa3bce"],"text":"The embassy dates al-Faqih’s overall Washington service to 1945–1954. The 8 February 1946 calendar records a scheduled credential audience; the precise ministerial boundaries remain unknown."}],"paragraphSources":[["heritage","aleqt"],["aleqt","truman-1947","truman-calendar-1946-02-08-al-faqih","truman-calendar-1949-03-04-al-faqih","frus-1949-vi-d1099-elevation"],["heritage"]],"profileUrl":"diplomat-125eac1bebaabbb38423.html","relatedEvents":[],"relatedPeople":[{"certainty":"documented","name":"Ali Alireza","note":"Both accompanied Crown Prince Saud at the White House on 14 January 1947.","profileUrl":"diplomat-86de804e8c862eee9afc.html","sourceIds":["truman-1947"],"targetId":"saudi-arabia:saudi-arabia-person-ali-alireza","type":"served_with"}],"relationships":[{"certainty":"documented","note":"Both accompanied Crown Prince Saud at the White House on 14 January 1947.","sourceIds":["truman-1947"],"targetId":"saudi-arabia:saudi-arabia-person-ali-alireza","type":"served_with"}],"researchStatus":"reviewed","reviewedOn":"2026-10-31","revision":"b7076e6ddefdcb05","sources":[{"accessedOn":"2026-10-28","date":"2017-05-19","id":"aleqt","locator":"Article citing Encyclopedia of King Abdulaziz's Diplomatic History","publisher":"Al Eqtisadiah","title":"أسعد الفقيه أول سفير سعودي في أمريكا","type":"reference","url":"https://www.aleqt.com/2017/05/19/article_1189716.html"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-28","date":"2015-11-05","id":"heritage","locator":"Lot 45635, biographical provenance","publisher":"Heritage Auctions","title":"Transportation Report Dammam to Riyadh: from the Collection of Ambassador Assad Al-Faqih","type":"reference","url":"https://historical.ha.com/itm/books/world-history/-saudi-arabia-transportation-report-dammam-to-riyadh-san-francisco-1947-total-2-items-/a/6148-45635.s?ic16=ViewItem-Auction-Open-ActionBar-NextLot-090315"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-28","date":"1947-01-14","id":"truman-1947","locator":"Photograph 63-1392-15, description","publisher":"Harry S. Truman Presidential Library","title":"Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and His Party Leave the White House","type":"archive","url":"https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/photograph-records/63-1392-15"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-31","date":"1946-02-08","id":"truman-calendar-1946-02-08-al-faqih","locator":"8 February 1946, 12:30 p.m., Saudi minister credential audience","publisher":"Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives","title":"Daily Appointments of Harry S. Truman, 8 February 1946","type":"Receiving-state presidential appointment calendar, institutional transcription","url":"https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/calendar/search?page=29"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-31","date":"1949-03-04","id":"truman-calendar-1949-03-04-al-faqih","locator":"4 March 1949, noon, Saudi ambassador credential presentation","publisher":"Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives","title":"Daily Appointments of Harry S. Truman, 4 March 1949","type":"Receiving-state presidential appointment calendar, institutional transcription","url":"https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/calendar/search?page=118"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-31","date":"1949-01-04","id":"frus-1949-vi-d1099-elevation","locator":"FRUS 1949, volume VI, document 1099, file 124.90F/1–549, printed pp. 1573–1574; final paragraph and editorial note on the 4 March credential presentation","publisher":"U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian","title":"Memorandum by the Acting Secretary of State to the President, 4 January 1949","type":"Edited primary diplomatic document with an editorial note about the resulting credential ceremonies","url":"https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1949v06/d1099"},{"accessedOn":"","date":"2025-05-20","id":"mission-a34bd85cec35f1aa3bce","locator":"Official tenures for ten past chiefs, 1945–2019; biographies for the five most recent. Earlier biographies are absent.","publisher":"","title":"Former Ambassadors — Saudi Embassy, Washington","type":"Mission record","url":"https://us.saudiembassy.sa/en/Embassy/Pages/FormerAmbassadors.aspx"}],"topics":["United Nations founding","Saudi diplomatic service","royal visits","book collecting"]},"schemaVersion":1}