Saudi Arabia's Prince Yazid bin Mohammed was instrumental in diplomatic efforts to break Lebanon's presidential deadlock, making several trips to the country to help push Joseph Aoun's election over the line.
The Lebanese parliament chose Gen Aoun, commander of Lebanon's armed forces, as president on Thursday after the position was left vacant for more than two years amid a political and economic crisis.
An adviser on Lebanese affairs to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, Prince Yazid largely worked behind the scenes to rally support for Gen Aoun, alongside efforts by western diplomats.
Saudi Arabia is the biggest provider of financial assistance to Lebanon, with ties between the countries dating back to the 1980s. However, relations have been on shaky ground in recent years, primarily over the influence on Lebanon's politics of armed group Hezbollah, with Riyadh calling for reforms to the political process.
Hezbollah was weakened by its conflict with Israel, with its leader Hassan Nasrallah and several commanders being killed and the group's infrastructure damaged. Riyadh stepped up as a strong backer of a process to steer Lebanon away from Hezbollah's grip.
Gen Aoun is the first Lebanese president not chosen by Hezbollah in at least 27 years, since the election in 1998 of Emile Lahoud. In 2017, tensions between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon rose when former Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri resigned on live television while on a prolonged stay in Riyadh.
