Prince Bandar ‘Bandar Bush,’ Saudi ambassador to the U.S. resigns after over 20 years

This has not hit the mainstream press yet, but it appears Saudi Arabian Prince Bandar, ambassador to the U.S., has resigned:

Washington’s ultimate insider, the longest serving ambassador to the United States, Saudi Arabia’s Prince Bandar bin Sultan has resigned, officials said.

(…)Some experts are commenting that the timing could be crucial, coming in the light of King Fahd’s failing health - he has been in hospital for several weeks with pneumonia - and Bandar (who’s elderly father is defence minister) is positioning himself in a possible succession battle.

Prince Bandar who has served for 22 years - the longest diplomatic posting to the US capital by any foreign country, became Saudi ambassador to Washington in 1983, when Ronald Reagan was in the White House and has been close to every president, Republican and Democrat, since. Aljazeera

Bandar has been a longtime friend of the Bush family who nicknamed him ‘Bandar Bush’ and consider him a member of the family. The night of 9/11 he was at the White House smoking a cigar with the President while planning to have Osama Bin Laden’s relatives flown out of the country while the rest of America’s flights were still grounded.

Update: The BBC now confirms it here.