Richard Oppenheim

Biography

Richard Oppenheim was Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Yemen from August 2021 to July 2023. Prior to this role, he was the UK’s Deputy Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – promoting relations between the UK and Saudi Arabia and supporting British interests in the Kingdom.

Richard joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 2002 working on EU enlargement in London after which he served briefly at the UK Mission to the UN in New York. Between 2004 and 2009, he was posted to the Middle East, studying Arabic in Damascus and subsequently serving in Muscat, Basra and then as Head of Political Section Baghdad (2008 to 2009). From 2010 to 2016 Richard was posted to Japan – as Head of Climate and Energy (2011 to 2015) and Political Counsellor overseeing Foreign and Security policy co-operation (2015 to 2016). From 2017 to 2018, Richard was the UK Commonwealth Envoy, representing the UK on the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth Secretariat and co-ordinating FCO preparations for the London hosted CHOGM in April 2018.

Previous roles in government

  • British Ambassador to Yemen
    • 2021 to 2023
  • Deputy Head of Mission, Saudi Arabia
    • 2018 to 2021