A Statement by Mr. Ford M. Fraker U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 
On the Occasion of Saudi Arabia's National Day September 23, 2008 

On behalf of the people of the United States of America, I congratulate the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and the people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the occasion of your national day. 

For more than seventy-five years, the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have enjoyed a strong relationship founded on common interests and mutual respect. President Bush�s two state visits in 2008 highlight our continuing friendship, building on the first handshake between President Roosevelt and King Abdulaziz in 1945 aboard the USS Quincy. 

Our relationship is deep and long-lasting, and it grows stronger every day. The King Abdullah Scholarship allows thousands of young Saudis to study abroad. Your sons and daughters have exciting opportunities to discover new experiences and understand other cultures. As U.S. Ambassador, I am happy more than 15,000 young Saudis have decided to study in the United States. These people-to-people exchanges allow the Saudi-U.S. friendship to grow, strengthen, and continue well into the future. The U.S. government and our Saudi partners are committed to expanding U.S. educational opportunities to more Saudi students. 

We thank King Abdullah for his strong leadership in the political and economic arena, particularly his commitment to a world free of terror. His efforts and those of brave men everyday have increased the security of Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, and the world. We are proud to partner with Saudi Arabia to combat this global threat. 

Finally, through the Interfaith Dialogue Initiative, King Abdullah and Saudi Arabia have shown true foresight. The King has worked tirelessly to promote common themes that link all religions -- tolerance, moderation, and brotherhood. These ideas bring us together and plant the seeds of peace. 

I am honored to represent the United States of America in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. On behalf of the American people, I wish you a Ramadan Kareem and congratulate you on your National Day.

Source: U.S. Embassy Riyadh

Ford M. Fraker, Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

Ford M. Fraker was sworn in on April 11, 2007 as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

At the time of his nomination by President George W. Bush, Ambassador Fraker was serving as Chairman of the Trinity Group Limited, a private investment banking firm in the United Kingdom and as consultant for Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation in Boston, MA.

Ambassador Fraker graduated cum laude from Harvard University in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Ambassador Fraker has served as a banker in the Middle East for more than thirty years. He began his career with Chemical Bank where he worked from 1972 to 1979. He worked in Lebanon, the UAE, and Bahrain, ending as a Vice President and Regional Manager for the bank�s Bahrain office. He joined the Saudi International Bank in 1979 and worked for SIB until 1991, holding positions of increasing management responsibility in the bank�s General Banking, Credit and Client Development units. When he left SIB in 1991, Ambassador Fraker was serving on the bank�s Management Committee.

Ambassador Fraker founded Fraker & Co. in 1991, and in 1993, he joined MeesPierson Investment Finance (UK) Limited, where he was the Managing Director responsible for placing U.S. and European investment products with European and Middle Eastern institutional and private investors. In 1997, he co-founded Trinity Group Limited and continued to serve as Managing Director and Chairman until his nomination by President Bush.

Ambassador Fraker has been married to his wife, Linda M. H. Fraker, for more than 23 years. They have three children, Antonia, Jonathan, and Charlie. Antonia and Jonathan are attending university, and Charlie is completing his high school studies.

Ambassador Fraker was born in Princeton, NJ and speaks French and Arabic

Source: U.S. Embassy Riyadh