ISLAMABAD, (Pakistan) – The new American Ambassador David Hale has arrived in Islamabad today on November 18, 2015. He succeeded Richard Olson as the new American Ambassador to Pakistan. Richard Olson has been appointed as new Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (SRAP) after serving as U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan for last three years.
Ambassador David Hale will present his credentials to President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain at the earliest opportunity. After presenting his credentials, he will begin working with his Pakistani counterparts and the Pakistani people to strengthen American-Pakistani relations, increase trade between the two countries, further enhance our security partnership, and advance the broad agenda laid out by President Obama and Prime Minister Sharif when they met in Washington on October 22, 2015.
David Hale is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Career Minister. He served as Ambassador to the Lebanese Republic from 2013 to 2015. Previously, he was the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace (2011-2013), Deputy Special Envoy for Middle East Peace (2009-11), and American Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (2005-8).
He has also served in Tunisia, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, and multiple tours in Lebanon and Jordan. In Washington, Hale was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israel, Egypt and the Levant, Director for Israel and Palestinian Affairs, and Executive Assistant to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
In 2013 Secretary Clinton presented Hale with the Distinguished Service Award. He speaks Arabic. Hale is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and was born in the U.S. state of New Jersey.