H.E. RAYMOND REYES BALATBAT

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
 with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Yemen

Ambassador Raymond R. Balatbat, a seasoned career diplomat, has assumed his position as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Yemen, on 7 February 2025 following his service as the Philippine Ambassador to the Lebanese Republic in Beirut from 2021 to 2024.

In 1996, Ambassador Balatbat entered the Philippine Foreign Service, assuming the role of Principal Assistant at the Office of Policy Planning and Coordination (OPPC) of the Department of Foreign Affairs. During his career, he took on several roles. His first foreign assignment was in Riyadh, where he served as Third Secretary and Vice Consul from June 1999 to September 2002. He then took on the role of Second Secretary and Consul at the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta until November 2005. In his subsequent assignment, he assumed the role of First Secretary and Consul General at the Philippine Embassy in Brunei Darussalam from June 2008 to October 2014.

At the Home Office, he served as Director in various offices, such as the Office of ASEAN Affairs from 2005 to 2008 and the Office of European Affairs from 2014 to 2016. Before his assignment in Beirut, Ambassador Balatbat served as Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Office of the Middle East and African Affairs (OMEAA) from 2017 to 2021.

Ambassador Balatbat is married to Ambassador Celeste Vinzon Balatbat, the current Philippine Ambassador to Chile.