The Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Boukhari, alongside the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement Gebran Bassil at Mirna Chalouhi, on May 19, 2026. (Photo taken from the tayyar.org website)
BEIRUT — Before his departure on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Lebanon Walid Boukhari paid two visits, first to Meerab and then to Mirna Chalouhi to meet with the two rivals on the Christian political scene: Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Gebran Bassil.
In Meerab, the diplomat discussed political developments on both the local and regional levels, in the presence of former minister and the party’s head of foreign relations, Richard Kouyoumjian.
At the FPM's headquarters, the man who served as Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Lebanon from 2018 to 2026 said he had been “marked by the ten years spent in Lebanon,” reaffirming that his country “stands at an equal distance from all Lebanese factions,” according to a statement cited by the Aounist party’s website tayyar.org. Boukhari praised “Lebanon’s role in its diversity” and wished the country “stability and prosperity,” as well as the FPM “success in its national role.”
For his part, Gebran Bassil emphasized the “fraternal relations” between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, which “stood by Lebanon during the crises” and welcomed Lebanese who contributed to its development. He added that his party aspired to “the best possible relations” with Riyadh.
Humanitarian convoy reaches Rmeish, Ain Ibl, Dibil despite obstacles
