An official Lebanese source told Sputnik on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia has named Rajeh Otaibi as its new charge d'affaires ad interim in Lebanon, and that he would arrive in Beirut in the coming days.

The Saudi authorities summoned their diplomatic envoy from Lebanon for consultation in late October, and the Lebanese ambassador was given 48 hours to depart the kingdom.

This step comes after French President Emmanuel Macron visited Saudi Arabia last Saturday and met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). That was the first visit by a high-ranking Western official to the kingdom since the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in his country's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

During his visit, Macron and Ibn Salman made  tripartite contact with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati with the aim of launching an "initiative to resolve the crisis between Riyadh and Beirut." 

And resigned Minister George Kordahi had previously put his resignation within the framework of an initiative by French President Emmanuel Macron to resolve the crisis between Lebanon and the Gulf.