Parliament’s committee on national security and foreign relations has decided to approve the president’s nominee for Maldives’ Ambassador to the Organization of the Islamic Affairs (OIC).

The committee made the decision at a meeting held on Tuesday, to approve Mohamed Khaleel -who is also the country’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia- to the post.

Parliament forwarded Khaleel’s name to the national security and foreign services’ committee for further review, on Monday.

As per Article 115 (l) of the Constitution, the president is entrusted “to appoint members of diplomatic missions to foreign countries and international organizations in consultation with the People’s Majlis.”

Khaleel, who was appointed as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia in June this year, previously served as the Maldivian High Commissioner and Acting High commissioner to Singapore. He attained his Diploma of Environmental Law and Policy at Jawaharlal Nehru University, India.

Khaleel has been serving the government since 1983.