Saud Al-Qahtani
Saud Bin Abdullah Al-Qahtani, (1978), served as an adviser at the Royal Court at the Excellent Rank during the reign of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and with the rank of minister during the reign of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Life and upbringing
Saud Al-Qahtani was born in Riyadh on June 7, 1978. He received his education at Riyadh Schools, and completed his secondary education at Al-Asimah Model Institute, where he ranked among the top ten students in Riyadh Province, and later attended King Saud University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Law. He then joined the university officers' qualification course in the Royal Saudi Air Force, graduating with an excellent grade with honors. He subsequently advanced through the military ranks at King Faisal Air Academy and was ultimately designated for the rank of Major. He was assigned as Director of Personnel Affairs and later oversaw the management of Officers’ Affairs at the same academy, and also worked there as a legal lecturer; then he moved to the Crown Prince's Court. He obtained a master's degree in criminal justice from Naif Arab University for Security Sciences.
Professional career
Saud Al-Qahtani assumed management of the Media Department at the Crown Prince’s Office from 2003 to 2005, marking the beginning of his leadership roles. He worked as Deputy Director General of the Media Monitoring Centre in 2005, then as Director General of the Media Monitoring and Analysis Centre in 2008, eventually reaching the post of General Supervisor of the Centre for Studies and Media Affairs at the Royal Court.
He also served as an adviser at the Royal Court. During the reign of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, he was appointed Adviser at the Excellent Rank in 2012, and he was thereafter appointed Adviser with the rank of minister during the reign of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud from December 2015 until October 2018. During his service at the Royal Court, he led a series of strategic national initiatives that contributed to developing the administrative and media ecosystems.
Saud Al-Qahtani had previously held the position of General Supervisor of the High Committee for Combat Sports Federations in 2017, and obtained a number of advanced training courses in various leadership and technical fields.
His tasks and positions were numerous, as he was a member of the board of directors of a number of entities and institutions, including: Mohammed Bin Salman Foundation "Misk", the Royal Commission for AlUla, the King Abdulaziz Foundation (Darah), and Misk Schools. He placed significant emphasis on supporting the localization of the technology sector in Saudi Arabia and empowering national talent. He also chaired a number of specialized entities, including: the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, the Information Security Centre of Excellence, and the Command and Control Centre for Advanced Studies.
He also founded the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, and contributed to the establishment of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA). He gained membership of its board of directors and served as the first chairman of its executive committee after its establishment, leading the launch and technological transformation phase aimed at enhancing Saudi Arabia's position as a global hub for data and artificial intelligence. Alongside his media activity, he was a political and social columnist in a number of Saudi newspapers, including Asharq Al-Awsat and Al-Riyadh newspaper. He was among the most influential and active figures on social media platforms, and has authored several poetic works including patriotic poems.