Khalid Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz

His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (born in 1988) has been the Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since September 27, 2022. He previously served as the Deputy Minister of Defense and the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the United States of America.

He received his education at Riyadh Schools and graduated at the top of his secondary education class in 2006. He chose the military and defense field due to his passion and interest in it. He studied at King Faisal Air Academy in Riyadh and graduated in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in aviation sciences, achieving the rank of flight lieutenant after completing the initial training course at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He also successfully completed the training program at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi, USA.

After graduating, he was appointed as a pilot officer and began the aviation program on an F-15 aircraft. Later, he was appointed as a plans officer, in addition to his duties as a pilot of an F-15 aircraft. He also served as a tactical intelligence officer in the Royal Saudi Air Force.

Prince Khalid Bin Salman was one of the first Saudi pilots to participate in air sorties as part of the international coalition campaign against ISIS in Syria. He also participated in Operations "Decisive Storm" and "Restoring Hope" in Yemen, accumulating around one thousand flying hours.

He completed several training courses in the military and security fields, including the "Senior Executives in National and International Security" course from Harvard University and the "Advanced Electronic Warfare" course in the French capital, Paris.

In 2015, Prince Khalid was appointed as an officer in the Office of the Minister of Defense, where working closely with His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz (Minister of Defense at the time) allowed him to become familiar with his vision for developing the ministry. In 2016, he was appointed as a civilian advisor in the Office of the Minister of Defense and was entrusted with managing a number of important files.

In late 2016, Prince Khalid was appointed Advisor at the Embassy of the Kingdom to the United States of America. Subsequently, a Royal Order was issued on April 22, 2017, appointing him as Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the United States of America with the rank of minister. Prince Khalid Bin Salman became the tenth Saudi ambassador to the United States.

On February 22, 2019, Prince Khalid was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense with the rank of minister by a Royal Order, contributing to the realization of the leadership's vision for the military and defense system.

On September 27, 2022, a Royal Order was issued appointing Prince Khalid Bin Salman as the Minister of Defense, tasking him with the responsibility of managing this ministry amidst the developmental advancements of the Kingdom and its sectors.

Prince Khalid Bin Salman chairs a number of councils and boards, including:

· Council of Defense Ministers of the member states of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition.

· Board of Directors of the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information.

· Board of Directors of the General Authority for Military Industries.

· Board of Directors of the Saudi Arabian Military Industries.

Prince Khalid also holds a number of positions, including:

· Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Military Industries.

· Deputy Chairman of the General Authority for Defense Development.

· Member of the Board of Trustees of the Martyrs, Wounded, Prisoners, and Missing Persons Fund.

On March 23, 2024, Prince Khalid Bin Salman was awarded the Nishan-e-Pakistan Medal, the highest civilian order in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, by President Asif Ali Zardari. This recognition was bestowed in appreciation of his efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.