David Welch

Ambassador Welch served 32 years with the U.S. diplomatic service. When he retired, he was Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, the senior-most U.S. diplomat for the region. He was Ambassador to Egypt and served in Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. In 2008, he attained the lifetime rank of Career Ambassador, one of only about 60 diplomats to achieve this designation. From 2009-2019, he was President for International and Government Affairs at Bechtel, responsible for international representation, global security, internal and external communications, and the Washington Office. He was a board member of the U.S.-Saudi Business Council, the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council and the U.S.-Egypt Business Council, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Diplomacy.Born in 1953 and is a United States citizen. Appointed: 29 May 2019.